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Jail, after all, is not exempt from society’s great divide based on economic and social status. And even here, the movement for freedom and democracy considers our situation as part of the struggle.
“It is a travesty of justice that pork barrel mastermind Janet Napoles has been acquitted along with her cohorts who are now sitting senators, but no political prisoner whose cases are made up has been included in any of the trumpeted mass releases of elderly PDLs since the start of the pandemic in 2020.”
According to Karapatan, these political prisoners were wrongfully arrested and rights have been violated in the course of their arrest.
Kapatid compared the bail amount to the P300,000 ($5,371.50) bail posted by former first lady Imelda Marcos after she was convicted by the Sandiganbayan for using her government position to maintain Swiss bank accounts while her husband was in office.
“State security forces continue to perpetrate with impunity extrajudicial killings, torture, forced disappearances, illegal arrests, and detention based on trumped-up charges."
With eight days before the May 9 elections, Bulatlat takes a look at the senatorial candidates’ statements on the ATA as well as their stance on peace talks and on political prisoners.
“The extreme congestion of Philippine prisons create a perfect petri dish to seed immense infections by the highly transmissible Omicron variant."
“We commend the decision of the court and we hope this will presage more releases of political prisoners who are foisted with trumped-up charges in retaliation for their activism or to make them the fall guy to take the blame for NPA operations.”
These 17 cases of political prisoners highlight the injustices of the times. The calls for their release remain amid the continued freedom of a dictator’s wife known for her Imeldific lifestyle.
“It should bother everyone but it doesn’t bother the court why a bedridden old man, completely disabled and incapable of any self-care, cannot benefit from the equity of the law that was used in principle to grant bail for jailed and convicted politicians accused of non bailable high crimes."
Lino Baez recounted what was done to him, which included “beatings, pressing the barrel of a gun to his chest, and applying a chemical to his blindfold which made him nauseous.” Baez was also frequently interrogated by state forces, insisting that he was a top-ranking member of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).
Karapatan-Southern Tagalog is asking the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) Mimaropa and the Regional Trial Court Branch 81 for an explanation to the allegations that Maria Teresa Dioquino is being held in solitary confinement and harassed by military intelligence officials.
Bulatlat compiled short accounts of consultants and staff of the Negotiating Panel of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, who were arrested and jailed during the dark years of the dictatorship but are now incarcerated for their continuing fight for a genuinely free country.
Jeffrey Bajo Delos Reyes is currently at the provincial hospital in Calapan City and is in critical condition after being shot in the head. He is 37 years old and has been in jail since September 2016.
“The Supreme Court cannot ignore the plight of the victims of search warrant factories who have become political prisoners,” said Kapatid Spokesperson Fides Lim, adding that at least 76 activists have been arrested due to search warrants issued by Judge Cecilyn Burgos-Villavert.
Under the Duterte administration, Karapatan has noted a pattern of using search warrants issued by executive judges in Quezon City and Manila regional trial courts to conduct police and military raids on homes and offices of the progressive leaders and activists which led to the killings or if not, end up arrested after supposed “evidence” were gathered by the authorities.
“With his death, Jesus Alegre is now free at last from worldly greed, oppression and injustice. But his widow and son, both unjustly convicted and imprisoned for the last 16 years, continue to languish and suffer in separate jails.” -- Bishop Gerardo Alminaza
“He was not only a senior citizen but (he was) gravely sick long before he died. The repeated call for his and his wife Moreta’s immediate release based on humanitarian grounds along with other elderly and sick political prisoners were also ignored."
With the death of another political prisoner in jail, Kapatid reiterated their call for the promulgation of the writ of kalayaan – a legal remedy proposed by Associate Justice Marvic Leonen in his separate opinion to the SC ruling on political prisoners' petition.
“What kind of government jails a family for 16 years and ignores all appeals for their freedom although the elderly Alegre couple are eligible for pardon and humanitarian release especially at this time of pandemic?”
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