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

As the countdown for the release of 32 Political Prisoners come to a close on May 5 KARAPATAN deplores continued detention of Mamburao 7, calls for their immediate release

As the countdown for the release of the 32 Political Prisoners nears its end on May 5, 2004, KARAPATAN, the militant alliance of human rights organizations in the country, calls on the government to free the Mamburao 7, as promised by it in the recently-concluded peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines in Oslo, Norway from March 30-April 2, 2004.

Today chief complainant against the Mamburao 7, former Congressman Ricardo Quintos will take to the witness stand at the sala of Judge
Teresita Yadao, RTC Branch 80 in Quezon City and continue his charade of accusing the seven peasants of killing his two sons.

KARAPATAN the Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights deplores the continued detention of the Mamburao 7 and invokes item # 4 of the Second Oslo Joint Statement released by both the GRP and NDFP after the conclusion of the second round of peace negotiations in Oslo, Norway last March 30 – April 2, wherein “The GRP shall also inquire with dispatch into the cases of the Mamburao 7 and Donato Continente and undertake the necessary steps to address their special circumstances for their release based on humanitarian and/or legal grounds.”

The human rights group challenged the GRP to exercise their political will in releasing the seven peasants composing the Mamburao 7 -
Manuelito Matricio, Eduardo Hermoso, Mario Tobias, Ruben Balaguer, Gelito Bautista, Joshue Ungsod and Orlando Estanes, - who are clearly being framed up for a crime they did not commit.

“Mr. Quintos knows only too well who were responsible for his sons’ deaths.” KARAPATAN Secretary General Marie Hilao-Enriquez declared. “Makonsensya naman siya. These peasants have families who have suffered much since the time their husbands and fathers were incarcerated. They do not deserve another day of misery”

The Mamburao 7 was part of the original list of political prisoners WHO WERE APPPROVED FOR RELEASE BY PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2001 YET. However, the court allowed the opposition of Mr. Quintos to hold sway and refused to recognize the directive for their release. Despite the frustrations and false hopes offered by the Government, the Mamburao peasants continue their struggle for freedom.

The fate that has befallen our Mamburao 7 brothers is but one of the cases that continue to fan the centuries-old conflict and unpeace in our
countrysides. Influence of powerful landlords like Mr. Ricardo Quintos and the skewed justice system that favor the rich and powerful have
continuously worked against the poor and the powerless. If the government really aspires for peace in the land, justice must be served to people like the Mamburao 7 by releasing them immediately and the government must honor its commitments in the peace talks.

“In the same way that we aspire for the actual release of the 32 political prisoners, whose release are currently being processed and
expedited by the concerned government agencies, we also yearn for the day Mamburao 7 and the rest of the political prisoners be finally released.” Enriquez concluded.###

KARAPATAN
Alliance for the Advancement of People's Rights
#43 Masikap St., Brgy. Pinyahan,
Quezon City 1100 PHILIPPINES
telefax: (632) 928 6078 and (632) 435 4146
email address: [email protected]
[email protected]
website: www.karapatan.org