Luisita farmers led by the Alyansa ng mga Manggagawang Bukid sa Asyenda Luisita (AMBALA) and the national federation Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA) appeal to Pope Francis to look into the concerns of 491 political prisoners in the country who are now on hunger strike.

“Those of us fighting against landgrabbing and loss of livelihood are also targets of repression, harassment suits, illegal arrests and even extra-judicial killings (EJK),” said Florida Sibayan, AMBALA chairperson.

Sibayan is a survivor of the 2004 Hacienda Luisita Massacre. Under Aquino, Sibayan was repeatedly threatened by state forces, and was arrested and detained thrice for defending their land rights. She is currently out on bail.

Several activists and supporters of Luisita farmers also face harassment suits. Despite a 2012 Supreme Court ruling for total land distribution, farmers claim that Hacienda Luisita is still controlled by President Aquino’s family.

“Helping the poor is not a crime. Those who do are unjustly arrested under this repressive regime. We appeal for Pope Francis’s intercession to free our defenders,” said Sibayan.

UMA Deputy Secretary General Ranmil Echanis said that repression and criminalization of agrarian disputes and political offenses is part of state policy under Aquino’s Oplan Bayanihan (Operation Plan Cooperation).

“The growing number of political prisoners under Aquino is alarming. Majority of political detainees languishing in prisons all over the country are ordinary farmers, peasant leaders, community organizers and even professionals who went out of their way to help uplift the lives of ordinary farmers and calamity victims,” said Echanis.

Agricultural workers under UMA hope that the Pope’s intercession will also lead to the release of imprisoned peace negotiators and the resumption of peace negotiations between the government and the National Democratic Front (NDF).

“Land reform is a major issue in the social and economic reforms (SER) agenda of the talks. Continuing agrarian unrest in the President’s own backyard, Hacienda Luisita, must be of immediate concern to both parties,” said Echanis.

Luisita farmers will join activities organized by the People’s Committee to Welcome the Pope (People’s Welcome), a network composed mostly of sectors from the poor and the oppressed.

Farmers will fast starting January 15 at the Liwasang Bonifacio Kampuhan to echo their appeal: “Pope Francis, Pope of the Poor, stand with us for land, justice and peace!”

Reference:
Gi Estrada
UMA Media Officer
+63916611418
www.peopleswelcome.net

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Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura
(Agricultural Workers Union)
Philippines
Follow UMA Pilipinas on Twitter

Anticipating arrival of Pope Francis: Camp Bagong Diwa political prisoners start hunger strike

Five days before the arrival of Pope Francis, political prisoners at Camp Bagong Diwa started their hunger strike yesterday January 10, which will last up to January 19, the Pope’s departure from the Philippines.

“Aside from these letters and other efforts, we are also putting the whole of ourselves in our plea for return of our freedom, application of justice and respect for human rights that have been and continue to be deprived from us,” thus said the political prisoners in a statement, explaining the reason for their hunger strike. The 32 political prisoners at Camp Bagong Diwa’s male and female dorm signed the declaration of hunger strike. Among them are Andrea Rosal, and consultants to the peace talks of the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) such as Alan Jazmines, Tirso Alcantara, Loida Magpatoc, Emeterio Antalan, and Leopoldo Caloza.

They expressed hope that, “Your Holiness may be able to help in pressing for the return of the lost freedom and other rights of political prisoners, and thus fully correcting such grave social and political ills that have long been pestering in our country…” They added, “We, political prisoners, are among those being made to suffer terribly in this country, in the same way that you actually also saw and have also been deeply concerned about in your own country, Argentina.”

The political prisoners’ called their hunger strike a testament of their “existence and dire plight as political prisoners”. The Aquino government continues to deny that there are political prisoners in the country, much like the administrations it preceded.

Aside from their plight, the political prisoners expect that Pope Francis would see the “widespread sufferings of the greater mass of the oppressed, violated, deprived and impoverished people in our country,” which, they said has also been the Pope’s concern in his own country, Argentina.

The political prisoners at CBD asked the jail authorities to donate in their behalf the at least P10,000 savings from their food rations to the victims of disasters brought about by Supertyphoon Yolanda in 2013 and Typhoon Senyang in 2014. “We ask that the donation of such savings be coursed through the International Committee of the Red Cross,” they said.

Other political prisoners nationwide are expected to join in the hunger strike on January 15, while others will go on fast. Relatives of political prisoners and other victims of human rights violations go on sympathy fast and other sympathy actions while the Pope is in the country. All political prisoners in various jails nationwide will light candles on January 15 to welcome Pope Francis.

The statement is signed by Tirso Alcantara, Emeterio Antalan, Cesar Balmaceda, Leopoldo Caloza, Alan Jazmines, Jesus Abetria Jr., Modesto Araza, Alex Arias, Eddie Cruz, Philip Enteria, Voltaire Guray, Fidel Holanda, Edward Lanzanas, Rolando Laylo, Eliseo Lopez, Alberto Macasinag, Jared Morales, Denis Ortiz, Hermogenes Reyes Jr., Felicardo Salamat, Aristides Sarmiento, and Cirilo Verdan.

Reference:
Cristina “Tinay” Palabay
Secretary General
+63917-3162831

Angge Santos
Media Liaison
+63918-9790580

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PUBLIC INFORMATION DESK
<publicinfo@karapatan.org>

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Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights
2nd Floor Erythrina Building
#1 Maaralin corner Matatag Streets
Central District, Diliman
Quezon City, PHILIPPINES 1101
Telefax: (+63 2) 4354146
Web: http://www.karapatan.org

Ecumenical Advocacy Network on the Philippines

In an appropriations bill signed by president Obama on December 15, the US Congress expressed serious concern about the lack of progress on human rights by the Philippine Army. The bill appropriates $50 million in credits for the Armed Forces of the Philppines to buy arms from the US, but bill contains provisions that prevent funding of the Army unless the US Secretary of State certifies the Army meets three human rights restrictions.

In order for the Philippine Army to be given access to the funding the Government of the Philippines must be:

1. investigating and prosecuting army personnel who are credibly alleged to have committed, or aided or abetted, extra-judicial executions, forced disappearances, and other gross violations of human rights, and strengthening government institutions working to eliminate such crimes;
2. implementing a policy of promoting army personnel who demonstrate professionalism and respect for human rights; and
3. taking steps to ensure that the Philippine army and paramilitary groups under its control are not engaging in acts of intimidation or violence against journalists or human rights defenders.

The Ecumenical Advocacy Network on the Philippines (EANP), a US based human rights group that has advocated for the human rights restrictions since its founding in 2007, recently sent a letter to the US Congress and the State Department documenting the lack of progress on human rights. EANP stated that the Army has a very poor record of prosecuting human rights violators. Since President Benigno Aquino was inaugurated, 152 political and environmental activists have been killed and 18 disappeared.

There have been very few arrests, and only a handful of convictions and not one mastermind has been convicted. The Army continues to promote human rights violators. In 2013 the Army promoted Brigadier General Eduardo Año, Brigadier General Aurelio Baladad, Lieutenant General Jorge Segovia, and Brigadier General Ricardo Visaya, all Army officers with credible accusations of involvement in human rights violations. Killings and abductions continue. Human rights groups in the Philippines have documented over 40 killings so far in 2014, a very significant increase compared to the previous year.

In addition to the killings, detentions, torture, disappearances, enforced dislocations of indigenous people, harassment and intimidation of human rights advocates, and suppression of labor rights are on the rise.

Since 2008 the AFP has lost over $13M in funding because the US Secretary of State concluded that the AFP has not sufficiently improved its human rights record.

Ecumenical Advocacy Network on the Philippines
Durham, North Carolina
P.O. Box 51844
Durham, NC 27717
email: eanp2007@email.com
http://www.eanp.org
phone number +1-651-646-1985