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Paglaya ng 800 political prisoners hiniling matapos makapiyansa si De Lima

November 14, 2023 | 5:03pm

Paglaya ng 800 political prisoners hiniling matapos makapiyansa si De Lima

Former Philippine senator and human rights campaigner Leila de Lima (C), accompanied by supporters, arrives for a press conference at a hotel in Manila on November 13, 2023 after leaving the police custodial center at Camp Crame. Philippine human rights campaigner Leila de Lima was "triumphant" on November 13 after a judge granted her bail, putting her a step closer to freedom after nearly seven years behind bars.

AFP/Ted Aljibe

MANILA, Philippines — Ikinagalak ng human rights groups ang pansamantalang paglaya ni dating Sen. Leila de Lima matapos ang mahigit anim na taong pagkakakulong — pero paalala nila, marami pang political prisoners na nabubulok lang sa kulungan.

Lunes lang nang payagang makapagpiyansa ng Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) si De Lima, ito matapos bumaliktad ang sari-saring testigo pagdating sa mga kasong kaugnay ng droga.

"The wrongful detention of Senator de Lima for nearly seven years would not have happened had the Department of Justice upheld the rule of law from the beginning and rejected the filing of false cases against the fiercest critic of former President Duterte and his failed drug war," ani Fides Lim, tagapagsalita ng Kapatid, Martes.

"But there are 777 more political prisoners who likewise face utterly baseless charges like illegal possession of firearms and explosives that were in fact planted to deny them the right to bail."

Ang Kapatid ay isang support organization ng mga pamilya at kaibigan ng mga bilanggong pulitikal sa Pilipinas na nagtratrabaho para sa agarang paglaya ng mga nabanggit at pagprotekta ng kanilang mga karapatan.

Ilan sa mga tinutukoy ni Lim ay ang aktibistang sina Vicente Ladlad, Alberto at Virginia Villamor na limang taon nang nakapiit sa Camp Bagong Diwa, Bicutan matapos maaresto noong ika-8 ng Nobyembre matapos diumano "taniman" ng mga armas at granada. Si Ladlad ay asawa ni Lim.

Una nang itinakda ni Judge Gener Gito ang piyansa sa halagang P300,000. Pagbaliktad ito sa unang pagbabasura ni Judge Romeo Buenaventura sa petition for bail ni De Lima.

Matatandaang dalawa sa tatlong drug-related charges na laban kay De Lima ang ibinabasura ng korte sa ngayon.

"Kapatid calls on the Department of Justice to stop from allowing itself to be used as an instrument of political persecution by concocting cases to keep dissenters and activists in prolonged detention," dagdag pa ni Lim.

'Nag-iimbento ng ebidensya panagutin'

Pebrero 2017 pa nang arestuhin si De Lima matapos paratangang may kinalaman sa kalakalan ng droga sa New Bilibid Prison.

Sa kabila nito, iginigiit ng kampo ng dating senadora pinag-initan lang siya ni dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte dahil sa pagsasalita laban sa madugong gera kontra-droga.

Ilan sa mga dating tumestigo laban kay De Lima ang matatandaang bumaliktad matapos diumano "takutin" nina dating Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre atbp. law enforcers.

"Former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte along with those who conspired to bring such patently false charges against de Lima should be held accountable," wika ng Karapatan kahapon.

"As in the situation of the nearly 800 political prisoners in the Philippines, the charges against de Lima were driven by officials and State forces acting to persecute the political opposition and critics. Many if not all of these charges against political prisoners are based on perjured testimonies and planted evidence."

"As we welcome former Sen. de Lima’s temporary release, we call for the release of all political prisoners who have been unjustly detained."

Una nang sinabi ni dating Senate president at Justice Secretary Franklin Drilon na maaaring humarap si Aguirre para sa krimen ng "subornation of perjury."

Nobyembre 2022 lang nang itanggi ni Aguirre na pinwersa niya ang dating Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) officer-in-charge Rafael Ragos para tumestigo laban kay De Lima.