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Protestant bishops echo political detainees call for freedom

ICHRP Secretariat
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Protestant bishops echo political detainees call for freedom

News Release, July 21, 2012 – Eight Bishops from the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) expressed support to the ongoing hunger strike/fasting of political prisoners. In a statement, the Bishops urged Pres. Noynoy Aquino “to consider the plight of political detainees under his administration and their call for a general, unconditional and omnibus amnesty.”

The hunger strike/fasting which started last July 16 is on its fifth day. On July 19, some 18 political prisoners in Metro Manila, Agusan del Sur, Cebu and Tagum City heightened their action by going  on hunger strike to highlight the call for their release. Five hundred (500) inmates at the Compostela Valley Provincial Rehabilitation Center joined the political prisoners in sympathy. Political prisoners in 10 jails throughout the country have joined the hunger strike/fast.

The UCCP Bishops said they are “compelled to amplify” the on-going hunger strike of political prisoners in the “face of such callous dismissal by the Aquino Administration”, referring to the earlier pronouncement of Malacañang that “there are no political prisoners” in the country.

They also called for the release the 14 National Democratic Front (NDF) peace consultants who are covered by the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and NDF Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG).   “As Church advocates committed to the peace process, we view such action as a significant step in bringing forward and revitalizing the GPH-NDFP peace talks.”

In a separate statement, NDF peace consultant Ramon Patriarca criticized the Aquino government because “it has not done enough to comply with its commitments in the many bilateral agreements it forged with the NDF.  One cannot but suspect that the June 15 Oslo initiative was meant only as another ‘pogi point’ for the president’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) or, as a mere posturing preparatory to ending altogether the GPH-NDF peace negotiations consistent with his Oplan Bayanihan counter-revolutionary program.” Patriarca is a political prisoner at the Camp Lapu-Lapu, AFP Central Command headquarters in Lahug, Cebu City. He is among the political prisoners who are on hunger strike.

The UCCP Bishops who signed the statement of support were: Bishops Reuel Norman O. Marigza, General Secretary of the UCCP, Elorde M. Sambat, North Luzon Jurisdictional Area, Roel P. Mendoza, Middle Luzon Jurisdictional Area, Arturo R. Asi, South Luzon Jurisdictional Area, Jaime M. Moriles, West Visayas Juridictional Area, Dulce Pia-Rose, East Visayas Jurisdictional Area, Melzar D. Labuntog, Northwest Mindanao Jurisdictional Area, Modesto D. Villasanta, Southeast Mindanao Jurisdictional Area. ###

Reference: Cristina “Tinay” Palabay, Spokesperson, 0917-5003879
Angge Santos, Media Liaison, 0918-9790580

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PUBLIC INFORMATION DESK
publicinfo@karapatan.org
———————————————————————
Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights
2nd Flr. Erythrina Bldg., #1 Maaralin corner Matatag Sts., Central District
Diliman, Quezon City, PHILIPPINES 1101
Telefax: (+63 2) 4354146
Web: http://www.karapatan.org

KARAPATAN is an alliance of human rights organizations and programs, human rights desks and committees of people’s organizations, and individual advocates committed to the defense and promotion of people’s rights and civil liberties.  It monitors and documents cases of human rights violations, assists and defends victims and conducts education, training and campaign.

THANK YOU from the family of James Balao

ICHRP Secretariat
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THANK YOU from the family of James Balao

Stop Enforced Disappearances! Surface and free the victims!
End Impunity Now!

Dear Friends,

Please find below a Thank You Letter from the family of James Balao, CPA founding member who fell victim of enforced disappearance on September 17, 2008. The family wishes to thank all who have been very supportive of the family and the campaign to surface James Balao. Please forward this letter to all who sent in postcards, and all who joined the Monday Demonstrations in Stuttgart, Get on the Bus campaign of Amnesty International-Minnesotta, and the protest actions in Madrid led by Amnesty International – Madrid.

Thank you!

Sincerely,
Bestang Sarah Dekdeken
CORDILLERA PEOPLES ALLIANCE
No. 55 Ferguson Road
Baguio City 2600, Philippines
Tel. No. (63) 74 304-4239
Fax No. (63) 74 443-7159
Website: www.cpaphils.org

LETTER FROM THE FAMILY OF JAMES BALAO

Our Dearest Friends,

We, the family of James Balao, are so overwhelmed that there are so many friends in the Netherlands and Germany who are personally sending us cards of hope and strength in finding our brother James. The cards of support are continuously pouring in. You have sent us hundreds and hundreds of cards and all of you have touched our hearts. We do not know how to thank each and everyone of you as there are so many. Through our friends in the Cordillera People’s Alliance, we deeply Thank You All. That out there, all the way across the globe from us; there are people, whom we don’t even know, who care.

The issue on enforced disappearance is very heavy upon us. We still haven’t found James. The enemy is too strong. It involves the high ranks in the Philippine government and military. We do not know when we will see him again. Though we feel that he is alive; and our hopes are up that one day he will come home to us and to his friends. We also hope and pray that he is well and sound. We also feel more hopeful and stronger in this difficult times because of the cards that all of you have sent to us.

For James’ Freedom,
We Thank You,

– The Balao family

Political prisoners on hunger strike heighten action for freedom

ICHRP Secretariat
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Political prisoners on hunger strike heighten action for freedom

FREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS!

Friends,

Here are some developments of the  fasting/hunger strike of political prisoners in the Philippines. Your continuing support  for the demands of political prisoners to grant them a general, unconditional and omnibus amnesty by the Aquino government is much needed. We  count on you.

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July 18, 2012 –  Eighteen political prisoners from Tagum City, Patin-ay in Agusan del Sur, Cebu and Taguig City are now on hunger strike to underscore the call for the release of all political prisoners.500 inmates at the Compostela Valley Provincial Rehabilitation Center have joined the hunger strike in sympathy with the political prisoners in Tagum City, Davao del Norte. Meanwhile, other political prisoners in 10 jails all over the country continue their fast that was started on July 16.

The Samahan ng Ex-detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto (Selda) started its week-long fast on July 16 in time for the Noynoy Aquino’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 23. The political prisoners demand to release all political prisoners specifically calls for Aquino to proclaim a general, unconditional and omnibus amnesty.

Solidarity actions of relatives, friends and other human rights advocates are also held simultaneously. In Davao City,a picket was held along San Pedro St. to echo the call of the political prisoners. In Cebu City, a solidarity fasting center was also mounted by Karapatan Central Visayas in Fuente Osmeña Blvd. In Iloilo City, the political prisoners made a television interview right after their court hearing to call for their release on July 18. Their families, SELDA-Iloilo chapter and Panay Alliance-Karapatan mounted a fasting center at the heart of Iloilo City until July 20. In Metro Manila, a solidarity fast was held at the grounds of the Department of Justice (DOJ) on the first day of the fast. A picket was also held at the National Headquarters of the Philippine National Police in Camp Crame. This was participated in by various people’s organizations, relatives and friends of the political prisoners.

At the Maximum security of the New Bilibid Prisons, jail guards removed the “Free All Political Prisoners” streamer mounted by political prisoners. The political prisoners defied the order by mounting back the streamer the following day.

“Political prisoners will muster all their efforts until Noynoy Aquino heeds their call. Steel and concrete high walls can’t prevent political prisoners from fighting for justice and freedom.” Angie Ipong, a former political prisoner and secretary general of SELDA concluded.

The political prisoners who are currently on hunger strike and fast are those at the Medium and Maximum Security in New Bilibid Prisons, Male and female dorm of Special Intensive Care Area (SICA) Camp BagongDiwa, Metro Manila District Jail (Cuerna), Camp Lapu-lapu Central Command in Cebu, Victorias City Jail in Negros Occidental, Iloilo Provincial Integrated Jail (IPIL), Calbayog Jail, Misamis Oriental Provincial Jail and Isabela Provincial Jail.#

Reference: Angie Ipong, Secretary General, SELDA
Contact Number: +639499587373

NUPL – On the Palace blaming courts for rights cases

ICHRP Secretariat
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NUPL – On the Palace blaming courts for rights cases

Statement, 18 July 2012 – Palace attorneys and mouthpieces glued to ivory towers should come down from the hill and see reality from the ground. It smacks of ignorance if not duplicity to conveniently invoke separation of powers this time and pass the buck to the courts for the government’s failure to punish perpetrators.

Have they become clueless to realize that the Executive through PNoy (Philippine President Benigno Simeon Aquino III)  has all the police, investigative, and prosecutory agencies and commands all security forces like the military and the paramilitary who are credibly accused and persistently commit rights violations?

They should also not mix up between violations of human rights guaranteed and answerable by state agents and crimes committed by private individuals to make fallacious claims of its rights record. General Palparan remains to be Exhibit A for impunity.

Atty. Edre U. Olalia, NUPL secretary general +639175113373

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National Secretariat
National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers(NUPL)
3F Erythrina Bldg., Maaralin corner Matatag Sts. Central District,Quezon City, Philippines
Tel.No.920-6660,Telefax No. 927- 2812
Email addresses:nupl2007@gmail.com and nuplphilippines@yahoo.com
“Visit the NUPL  at http://www.nupl.net/

By calling yourselves the ‘people’s lawyer,’ you have made a remarkable choice. You decided not to remain in the sidelines. Where human rights are assaulted, you have chosen to sacrifice the comfort of the fence for the dangers of the battlefield. But only those who choose to fight on the battlefield live beyond irrelevance.”  Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno, in his message to the NUPL Founding Congress,Sept. 15, 2007

Karapatan chides Noynoy Aquino to stop acting like there are no political prisoners

ICHRP Secretariat
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Karapatan chides Noynoy Aquino to stop acting like there are no political prisoners

PRESS STATEMENT, July 17, 2012 – A week before Pres. Noynoy Aquino’s State of the Nation Address (SONA), political prisoners from Luzon to Mindanao are conducting a one-week fast  to push the call for the release of all political prisoners.

“It has been two years since we started to campaign and lobby for the release of political prisoners who are in various jails, but President Noynoy Aquino not only ignored our call but also arrested and detained 107 more farmers, indigenous peoples, leaders of organizations and activists, as well as suspected rebels. As of June 30, 2012, there are now 385 political prisoners,” said Marie Hilao-Enriquez, chairperson of both Karapatan and SELDA.

Karapatan said that Noynoy Aquino cannot just shrug off his shoulders, declare that he is different from the past GMA regime and blame it for all the ills besetting his “matuwid na daan” administration. He cannot go on pretending that there are no political prisoners in the country because “he is already responsible for detaining 107 activists based mostly on fabricated charges in the same way as Gloria did through the brutal Oplan Bantay Laya (OBL).”

According to Hilao-Enriquez, “Noynoy Aquino has his own brutal campaign against a people who organize themselves, assert and defend their rights to live decently. But like the GMA regime, Aquino has implemented his own campaign of suppression through Oplan Bayanihan which is actually just a continuation of the bloody OBL of the US-Arroyo regime.”

“This brutal campaign has resulted to 99 victims of extrajudicial executions, 10 victims of enforced disappearances, thousands displaced in communities classified by the military as rebel areas. All these happened during Noynoy’s two years, a picture no different from the GMA administration. It is no wonder that human rights violations, like the presence of political prisoners, continue to stalk our land,“ added Hilao-Enriquez.

Karapatan asserts that it would do well for Noynoy Aquino to take stock of his watch and not squander the remaining four years of his presidency.  Hilao-Enriquez said that, “he can still be the president who made good on his human rights commitments to the Filipino people. He can start this by releasing all political prisoners in the country through a presidential proclamation granting general, unconditional and omnibus amnesty to all political prisoners; or he may accede to the offer of the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform (PEPP) to “Release on Recognizance” the NDF peace consultants. The government should also immediately release the elderly, the women and those who are sick.”

Karapatan also enjoins all civil libertarians and freedom-loving Filipinos to echo the call for the release of political prisoners. “There may be no declared martial law but the same repression against the people and impunity prevail.  This must not be allowed to continue,” concluded Hilao-Enriquez.

Political prisoners in 10 detention facilities in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao are on their second day of fasting. ###

Reference: Cristina “Tinay” Palabay, Spokesperson, +63917-5003879 and Angge Santos, Media Liaison, +63918-9790580

———————————————————————
PUBLIC INFORMATION DESK
publicinfo@karapatan.org
———————————————————————
Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights
2nd Flr. Erythrina Bldg., #1 Maaralin corner Matatag Sts., Central District
Diliman, Quezon City, PHILIPPINES 1101
Telefax: (+63 2) 4354146
Web: http://www.karapatan.org

KARAPATAN is an alliance of human rights organizations and programs, human rights desks and committees of people’s organizations, and individual advocates committed to the defense and promotion of people’s rights and civil liberties.  It monitors and documents cases of human rights violations, assists and defends victims and conducts education, training and campaign.

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