Karapatan: 427 political prisoners are still in jail
To date, there are 427 political prisoners still in jail, all falsely charged with criminal cases. Of the 427 political prisoners, 12 are NDFP peace consultants covered by the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) signed by both the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the NDFP in 1995. In 2011, the GPH peace panel head, Atty. Alex Padilla, unilaterally declared the JASIG inoperative, a clear violation of the agreement.
Ramon Patriarca, peace consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), was released from the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center on February 4 after the Branch 25 of the Regional Trial Court-Danao City dismissed the rebellion charge against him and five other co-accuseds, who were earlier released on bail.
The release came after Patriarca's legal counsel filed a demurrer to evidence. Judge Jerry Dicdican found the rebellion case against him without basis and ordered his release on January. 10, 2014.
On April 9, 2009, Patriarca filed a civil case for torture and Php 1.4 million in damages against 20 officers and members of the Philippine National Police and Central Command, among them then Cebu Provincial police director Chief Supt. Carmelo Valmoria and Maj. Gen. Armando Cunanan, former commander of the Central Command. The case is pending at the RTC Branch 12.
"I am happy that henceforth, I can better contribute to the struggle for the release of political prisoners, and for human rights and just peace, not limited anymore by prison bars and barbed wires," Patriarca said in a statement sent to Karapatan.
In jail, Patriarca launched hunger strikes, fasting and other protest actions to call public attention to his detention and to echo the demand to release all political prisoners. He had issued statements to the public on issues such as the pork barrel system, government neglect on the plight of the victims and survivors of typhoon Yolanda. Patriarca also made and sold handcrafted greeting cards, proceeds of which were donated to the victims of typhoon Yolanda.
"… State repression is incapable of silencing, not even in prison, yearnings for freedom and justice," Patriarca said. "My abduction, brief disappearance and torture five years ago, now the subject of a civil case I filed against a number of military and police officials, showed that human rights violations is indeed a twin of the existing exploitative social system," he added.
Patriarca was abducted on February 5, 2009 at Barangay Casili, Mandaue City, Cebu, by unidentified men. He was tortured and interrogated for three days. In the said statement, Patriarca thanked all those who supported him and the campaign to release all political prisoners, both here and abroad.
PUBLIC INFORMATION DESK
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.
SELDA hits delisting of martial law victims anew
SELDA (Samahan ng Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto) reiterates its demand to reinstate the 2,013 names of delistes Martial Law victims who should receive reparation in any of the settlement agreements.
The 2,013 delisted names are part of 9,539 victims recognized by the Hawaii court who filed a class suit against former president Ferdinand Marcos in the Federal Court of Honolulu in Hawaii in 1986.
According to Marie-Hilao Enriquez, the Hawaii court shouldn't have wantonly delisted members of the class suit based merely on the reason that they failed to reply to letters sent by the Hawaii court asking for verification of their identity.
"Delisting the victims who were part of those who went after the Marcoses is a grave injustice. They were arbitrarily dropped from the list without notice and without due process, denying them of their right to reparation. We reiterate our demand to Judge Real to revert to the old list of Martial Law victims," said Enriquez.
In October last year, SELDA filed an opposition on the delisting of members at the Hawaii court, stating that there has been an executory judgment by the U.S. Court of Appeals dated December 17, 1996 that the number of victims who were qualified reparation remain at 9,539.
"This only means that the victims shouldn't be given more burden to write to the Hawaii courts, or confirm their identities because they have already been recognized as legitimate class suit members and victims," said Enriquez.
The filed opposition also said that class suit members come from different parts of the archipelago, and many of them are ordinary farmers and workers who may not have the financial means and resources to immediately respond to the said reply required by the court. Many more belong to the informal settlers - the urban poor people who might have been moved from their original residences due to forced evictions and demolitions of their abodes.
"We shouldn't aggravate their burden anymore, as justice has been so elusive from them. Until now, they are still demanding for the actual implementation of the law recognizing Martial Law victims," said Enriquez.
SELDA hit the continuous non-implementation of the Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Act. It has been almost a year since Pres. Aquino signed the law, but until now, no claims board has been formed. The claims board is the body responsible for the process of recognition and reparation of the 9,539 victims and others who were not part of the Hawaii class suit.
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