E/CN.4/1991/17 page 67 III. VISITS BY THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR A. Visit to the Philippines 1. Introduction 203. The Special Rapporteur visited the Philippines- from 1 to 10 October 1990, in response to an invitation extended to him on 30 November 1989 by the Government of that country. During his visit the Special Rapporteur held discussions with the Secretary of Justice, Franklin Drilon, who was accompanied by Under-secretary Bello, the Chief State Prosecutor, Fernando de Leon, and Deputy Chief State Prosecutor Mariano; Under-secretary of National Defense for Reserve Army Affairs, Eduardo Ermita, accompanied by Brig. Gen. Marino Filart, Commanding General of the Regional Capital Command (CAPCOM) of the Metropolitan Police Force, Brig. Gen. Adam Jimenez, Deputy Chief of Constabulary for Civil-Military Operations (PC/INP), Gol. Edwin Bacalla, Special Assistant to the Under-secretary of National Defense, and Captain Salipsis of the Philippine Navy; the Special Rapporteur also held discussions with Justice Abraham Sarmiento of the Supreme Court, Mrs. Mary Concepcion Bautista, Chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights, accompanied by several Commission members and the Director for field operations, Senator Wigberto Tanada, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights and Vicente de la Serna, Congressman and Chairman of the Congress Committee on Justice and Human Rights. He also met with the Acting Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Manuel Yan, and with the Solicitor General, Francisco Chavez. 204. On 5 October 1990, during a visit to Cebu City (the main town of Region No. VII, in the Visayas), the Special Rapporteur met with Justice Priscila Agana, and with Justices Perry Alcomar, Jose Burgos, Portia Hormachuelos and Pedro Son. He also visited the local chapter of the Commission on Human Rights, where he was briefed by the Director, Attorney Alejandro Alonzo. 205. The Special Rapporteur also met, in Manila and in Cebu City, with representatives of the following non-governmental organizations: Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA), National Movement of Civil Liberties (NMCL), Task Force Detainees (TFDP), Ecumenical Movement for Justice and Peace (EMJP), National Council of Churches of the Philippines, Medical Action Group, SELDA, KAPATID, GABRIELA, 3ALAY and Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG). 206. The Special Rapporteur visited the following prisons and detention centres: the PC-INP detention centre in Camp Crame, Quezon City, Pasay City Gaol, the PC-INP gaol in Camp Bagong Diwa, Bicutan and the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Centre. In all these prisons and detention centres the Special Rapporteur met privately with prisoners, whose names were provided by non-govermental organizations, who had allegedly been subjected to torture, and with other prisoners who wished to tell him about their past experience. The cases of some of these prisoners had been submitted in the past by the Special Rapporteur to the Government, either by letter or by urgent appeals. Due to the "Red alert" declared following the coup attempt in Mindanao, the Special Rapporteur was not authorized to meet with detainees held in Camp Sotero Cabahug, Cebu. Further details about contacts held with representatives of non-governmental organizations and with alleged victims of torture are contained in section 3 below.