|
KARAPATAN RESS STATEMENT 22 February 2001 KARAPATAN welcomes the release of another 24 political prisoners but reiterates its call: FREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS NOW! KARAPATAN fully supports the nationally-coordinated HUNGER STRIKE! of political prisoners in different jails and detention centers of at least ten (10) major regions simultaneous nationwide. We welcome the release of another 24 political prisoners finally approved by Malacaņang in the face of mounting organized activities of political prisoners and human rights organizations. Yet, we feel compelled to view this development with caution as we reiterate our call to finalize the release of all political prisoners now. The release is a small victory for the political prisoners and their families and all freedom-loving Filipino people in general. With the help of Department of Justice (DOJ) Sec. Hernando Perez, the political prisoners are slowly realizing their right to freedom. The political prisoners and the Filipino people appreciates the efforts of the DOJ in siding with justice and humanitarian compassion amidst Malacaņang's continued mendacious tactics. While we welcome the second batch of releases, the number is still a far cry from our initial clamour for freedom of all political prisoners without preconditions and underhanded tactics. This much-delayed reaction of Malacaņang never diminishes our founded suspicion of certain cabinet officials. Specifically, we suspect the dubious objective of Exec. Sec. Gen. De Villa in the unnecessary delay of political prisoners' release when the DOJ, Department of National defense (DND) and the department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) already approved their recommendations for release. We also decry the pro-American Imperialism mindset of Presidential Chief of Staff Atty. Renato Corona when he called convicted fallguys Donato Continente and Juanito Itaas as mere criminals, tantamount to denying the existence of political prisoners. We hail the decision of political prisoners to continue their hunger strike as a symbolic activity in expression of their rage against the Arroyo government's saboteur-tactics in the prisoners' release and its continued subservience to the dictates of the U.S. government. The hunger
strike is a challenge to the Arroyo government to further fast-track the
succeeding processes of political prisoners' release until all of them are
justly freed. The hunger strike is also a warning to the Arroyo government not to repeat its practice of sabotaging and delaying the release of political prisoners. The political prisoners have shown that they are ready to carry out militant and organized political activities even inside their prison cells when their rights are wantonly trampled upon. Today, political prisoners from the National Bilibid Prisons, Quezon City Jail, ISAFP detention Center, and the PAOCTF Detention Center will commence their four-day hunger strike. Political prisoners inside detention centers in Southern Tagalog, Southern Mindanao, Western Mindanao, Leyte, Samar, Cebu, Bohol, Central Luzon and Bikol will likewise start their hunger strikes. We can feel the pain of the political prisoners and their families that drove them to push for more drastic measures to dramatize their plight. We understand the anguish of being treated as pawns and hostages in the powerplay of the government when dealing with its adversaries. This is a test case for the sincerity of the Arroyo administration. It must free all political prisoners now, specially the sick and wounded, minors, women and the elderly. Now is also the time to free Leoncio Pitao, Donato Continente, Juanito Itaas and Lorna Rivera-Baba. They are clear and textbook cases of victims of political persecution. Without any preconditions and malicious intent, they should be freed now, along with the rest of all political prisoners. MARIE
HILAO-ENRIQUEZ
|
|