Political prisoners to skip meals during President Marcos' SONA

CEBU, Philippines — Over a hundred political prisoners in the newly-created Negros Island Region (NIR) will hold a day-long fast on the day of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s third State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 22, 2024.

Political prisoners held at the Negros Occidental District Jail in Bago City, along with those in other jails managed by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental, will skip their meals to draw attention to their demands for the government to address their human rights issues.

The political prisoners' support groups, Kapatid and Karapatan, reported that out of 755 political prisoners nationwide, 90 are sick and 102 are elderly.

The group cited as an example Ernesto Jude Rimando Jr., a Cebu-based labor rights advocate currently battling stage 4 liver cancer, who urgently needs release. He was reportedly arrested without a warrant in 2021 while in his rented apartment in Quezon City.

According to a Facebook post by AMA Sugbo, Rimando is currently bedridden at the Philippine General Hospital, where doctors have determined that treatment is no longer possible.

“What Rimando needs now is palliative care which would entail 24/7 medical attention, an impossible plight to be given in jail. What Rimando needs now is his immediate release from his baseless and fabricated charges,” reads a portion in the post.

Other sick and elderly political prisoners include 79-year-old Rosita Taboy, 72-year-old Evangeline Rapanut, and three couples in their seventies: Frank Fernandez and Cleofe Lagtapon, Ruben and Presentacion Saluta, and Alberto and Virginia Villamor.

Other political prisoners and activist groups stated that they would organize joint activities in their respective jails on Monday to push for the eventual release of all political prisoners and address other human rights issues.

People’s Agenda

Meanwhile, Makabayan Cebu Coalition presented its own 20-point People’s Agenda ahead of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s third SONA.

Titled as “Sugbuanon People’s Agenda”, Makabayan explained that the list addresses the most pressing issues faced by Filipino people including land reforms; rural development; livelihood sustainability; aid and funding; decent living for workers; public health services improvement; strengthening local economy; improving public transportation; affordable housing security; and balanced privatization policies.

Other key points highlighted by the coalition include enhancing renewable energy; sustainable tourism; Human Rights protection; Empowered Women and LGBTQIA+; achieve peace between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP); combat corruption; respecting the power and active participation of the people; and Defending national sovereignty regarding the West Philippine Sea.

In line with supporting people’s needs, Makabayan highlighted the people’s aid and funding on restoring livelihoods and jobs for people affected by the 2020 pandemic and disasters such as El Niño.

‘Ayuda ug pondo’ and ‘Disenteng Kinabuhi’ were also part of the the coalition’s agenda where they urged immediate aid to help communities affected by the 2020 pandemic and disasters like El Niño and advocates for better working conditions, including a national minimum wage, ending contractualization, and protecting workers' rights to unionize and join collective actions. — (FREEMAN)