A daughter’s last conversation with her dying father and the abominable situation inside the Angeles city jail that led to another death of a political prisoner. Joseph Canlas was the ninth under the Duterte administration and the fourth since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This function is within the High Court’s judicial duties to protect the right to life and health of those in government custody. They include the political prisoners like Joseph Canlas who had various comorbidities like diabetes and hypertension but was never tested for COVID-19 until he was brought to the jail’s quarantine section.”
“Leaders like Joseph and Pol have no desire but to see the people of the Philippines live fair and just lives. Their arrest and imprisonments only further show the correctness of their work and the Duterte government’s failure to prioritize the true needs of the people during a global pandemic.”
“No prisoner can be safe from the rising threats of the highly contagious disease inside the world’s most overcrowded and ill-equipped prison facilities with the most haphazard policies.”
The prosecutor noted that the statements of the witnesses, co-witnesses and the circumstances leading to the identification of Jenelyn Nagrampa-Caballero and Pastor Dan San Andres “are tainted with doubt and irregularity.”
Caraga police has announced late this afternoon that they arrested Renalyn Tejero.
Detained Grade 10 student Esmelito Oribawan and Datu Benito Bay-ao have fallen ill in jail.
Born last January with several health complications and a cleft-palate, Carlen was immediately separated from her mother after delivery through a caesarean section. Espinosa was taken back to jail in Guihulngan City three days after giving birth in a local hospital and was denied the chance to take care of her baby.
Whenever we are unsure about getting media coverage on problems of political prisoners, Bulatlat has always been there to bring our stories to print—as it does for other groups and communities similarly marginalized and voiceless.
“The government should act immediately as the health of Echanis and her baby is at high risk, especially in overly congested, poorly equipped prison conditions where social distancing is impossible and mass testing for COVID-19 is ignored.”
Karapatan-Central Luzon said the arrest and detention of Philip Alcantara is but another attempt to force his father to surface and surrender to the military.