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Volume IV,  Number 13               May 2 - 8, 2004            Quezon City, Philippines


 





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human rights watch

Zenaida Llesis, 6 Others Released from Prison

BY BULATLAT.COM

FREE AGAIN: Zenaida and Gabriela Llesis at the Labor Day rally  Photo by Arkibong Bayan

After one year and eight months, political prisoner Zenaida Llesis, 41, and her one-year old baby Gabriela finally gained their freedom when they were released from prison on April 29. 

“Daghan salamat (Thank you very much) to all of you who worked hard for my release.  Despite the difficulties of the situation, we have proven that with our principled struggle we have much to gain,” Llesis said upon her release. 

After two years in prison, Llesis, who came from and was arrested in Bukidnon, a province in southern Philippines,  was served a Release on Recognizance (ROR) order by Public Attorney’s Office Chief  Persida Rueda-Acosta at around 3 p.m. 

Tension rose however when members of the Philippine National Police (PNP), who served as security escorts for Llesis when she was transferred from Bukidnon to Manila in February initially refused to recognize the order.  

According to a statement by Karapatan, the PNP men did not want to recognize the release order as they wanted Llesis to be transferred to the custody of Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Region 10 instead of the human rights group Karapatan.

It took five hours of heated debate between PNP officials and Llesis’ supporters before she was finally released at around 8 p.m.

Meanwhile, Karapatan announced on April 30 the release of two other nursing mothers, Lucena Lagado and Irene Plagtiosa, as well as another woman political detainee, Antonieta Pegoria.  On April 28, three political prisoners from Cebu, Alison Alcantara, Rodulfo Cañedo and Janeth Montecalvo, were also released. 

Karapatan also said that three other political detainees are set to be released on May 3.  They are Alfredo Yodico and Nito Banga from Bohol and Maribel Barcenal from Tangub, Western Mindanao.

The release of political detainees is part of the goodwill measures undertaken by the Arroyo government as part of the agreement between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) ad the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) after the second round of talks held in Oslo, Norway from March 30 to April 2.  Bulatlat.com

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