KARAPATAN
Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights
43 Masikap St., Barangay Pinyahan, Quezon City 1100, PHILIPPINES
telefax# (632) 928-60-78 / 435-41-46
• E-mail: [email protected] / [email protected] • website: www.karapatan.org

Press Statement Reference:                                                                                                                                 Marie Hilao-Enriquez
05 April 2004                                                                                                                                                     Secretary General

Political Prisoners’ Kalbaryo continues with hunger strike

The human rights group KARAPATAN, the Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights together with the families of political prisoners joins the multi-sectoral activity today to dramatize their call for the release of all political prisoners, who are simultaneously staging a hunger strike and support fast in various detention centers all over the country.

“The political prisoners’ kalbaryo does not end with the announcement of release as aired during the weekend in all broadcast stations by Secretary Bello and Secretary Deles.” Marie Hilao-Enriquez, KARAPATAN Secretary General and NDFP designated Independent Observer to the Joint Monitoring Committee, stressed, “We have been waiting in vain for this to be realized.”

As KARAPATAN monitored the interview of Secretary Bello on 03 April 2004 with Mr. Deo Macalma over DZRH last Saturday (April 3) where he categorically stated that, “the GRP continues to release political prisoners but they have to go through the proper judicial process.” He also stated that, “the problem also lies with the slowness of the political prisoners’ lawyers when in fact we can provide them with the sevices of our PAO (Public Attorney’ Office)”. Is the signed agreement with regard to the release of political prisoners a mere lip service to deodorize the Arroyo administration for this coming election?

To set the record straight, the KARAPATAN in cooperation with the Public Interest Law Center persistently provides legal services to political detainees despite the legal maze of the judicial system. However, the lack of the government’s political will on this concern frustrates the political prisoners and their families, which has led to their hunger strike and support fast.

In 2001 the GMA administration ordered the release of political prisoners from detention, but twenty of them are still behind bars. The current list of 32 prisoners and detainees to be released include only nine (9) of those from 2001. The remaining eleven (11) are evidently absent from the list. They are Julito Tobias, Modesto Tobias, Bartolome Tobias, Ramil Orgasan, detained at the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa; Josue Ongsud, Ruben Balaguer, Eduardo Hermoso, Manuel Matricio, Mario Tobias, Gelito Bautista or more popularly known as the Mamburao 6, detained at the Quezon City Jail.

Meanwhile, Zenaida Llesis, one of the three nursing mothers still in detention spoke about her current situation. “Secretary Bello said in his interviews over radio, television and in the newspapers last February that I was already released. But that fact is I am still languishing in detention with my baby. The only means I can express my frustration is through participation of hunger strike and fast being conducted by all political prisoners nationwide.”

KARAPATAN also stated that the hunger strike and support fast of the political prisoners are meant to protest the lack of political will of this administration to implement the 2001 release order and the February 2004 Oslo Joint Agreement. “We challenge President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to finally fulfill her administration’s commitment on The Second Oslo Agreement which was held in 03 April 2004, to release 32 political prisoners within 30 days, as part of the confidence-building measure amidst the peace negotiations with the National Democratic Front.” Enriquez concluded. ###