Jailhouse 'Thriller' Has Chilling Background Story
The first time we saw this video of Filipino inmates dancing to Thriller, we remember thinking, "... Dude, how were 1500 inmates at a Cebu prison coaxed into a coordinated syncopated jamboree?"
We didn't have long to wonder. Security consultant Byron Garcia, the force behind it, isn't exactly shy. With a near-comical audacity, Garcia uploaded the video onto YouTube himself, along with a shit-ton of other coordinated nightmares, including I Will Follow Him from Sister Act.
While he totes the Filipino jail house rock as a rehabilitative measure, a deeper look reveals a streak less savory.
NewTeeVee dropped the following caption from a segment on the story: "Garcia runs the jail like his personal S&M dungeon, and he doesn't care if you know it. Why should he? His sister is governor and his dad is a senator. You can't touch him."
Confirming that, Beyond Madison Avenue reports that the guy even tattoos "Garcia" to the flesh of female inmates.
In an interview, Garcia admits the prisoners weren't crazy about becoming stars: "These prisoners were all hard-headed. So, well we, we, did some, ya know, uh, some disciplinary measures."
The Marquis de Sade would positively beam. NewTeeVee nailed it in saying that "At worst, it's a voyeuristic peep show in an ongoing prisoner rights abuse case."
Comments
His sister is a governor. His father is not a senator but a retired judge. We do not have a senator named Garcia.
The tattoos exist but how those tattoos came about remain unconfirmed. Portions of those report are inaccurate so the possibility that the story behind the tattoos is inaccurate is also high.
Not all politicians in the Philippines are untouchables. Some are behind bars including a newly-elected newbie senator. He's in jail for inciting rebellion.
I'm not saying the story behind the video and Garcia isn't true. I'm saying the reports have inaccuracies.
Vice Magazine did a feature on this place a few months ago. You can see more photos of the prison, inmates and Garcia here.
http://www.viceland.com/int/v14n4/htdocs/flip.php?country=us