Kalumonan (Families and Relatives of Political Prisoners)

call for the release of all political prisoners

 

Davao City

 

September 16,2011 Posted September 30, 2011

/p

 

 

     
   

 

Davao City- last September 16, 2011 about 73 individuals of families and relatives of political prisoners in Southern Mindanao Region participated in the 1st regional assembly of Kalumonan (Families and Relatives of Political Prisoners) at Davao City.

After the 1st Assembly, Kalumonan capped its assembly with a Picket Rally at the Centennial Park, Davao City, calling to Free All Political Prisoners through General, Unconditional and Omnibus Amnesty.

 
/p

/p
Photos courtesy of KARAPATAN - Southern Mindanao Region
           
     
     
     

x

 

KALUMONAN (Families and Relatives of Political Prisoners)
Press Release
16 September 2011

Families, relatives of political prisoners form group to call for their release

Around 30 families, relatives and friends of political prisoners gathered today at the rooftop of the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Davao City to form the Kalumonan, a Mandaya term for relative, as a response to the continuing arrest and detention of persons due to their political affiliation and belief.

“Even without Martial Law, the fact remains that there are about 360 political prisoners in the country wherein 24 inmates are from Southern Mindanao Region. They are individuals held in prison because their ideas are deemed by a government to either challenge or threaten the authority of the State”, lamented Fe Castanares, sister of a political prisoner and Kalumonan's spokesperson.

Castanares noted that the situation prompted a series of meetings with the families and relatives of political prisoners, together with human rights advocates and former political detainees, with the aim of consolidating their ranks so as to campaign on the issue of political detention and arrest.

“The existence of political detainees is contradictory to a democracy that constitutionally guarantees and upholds civil rights and the right not to be imprisoned on the basis of political affiliation and conviction. And yet the fact remains that increasing number of individuals are being illegally arrested and detained by the State due to their involvement in a movement that seeks fundamental and meaningful changes in our society”, she said.

“The worst thing the government did was charging them with common crimes like murder, illegal possession of firearms, or robbery so as to obscure the fact that the State wants them to be incarcerated because their ideas are deemed to be a threat to the power of the ruling elite”, she added.

The members of Kalumonan shared the same pain and loneliness that unjust imprisonment brings to them which violates the constitutional right to freedom of belief and expression and deprives the children of political prisoners the right not to be separated from their parents.

“The shared circumstances, burdens and trials that the families and relatives of political prisoners are continually facing have opted them to seek each other for support and solidarity that resulted to the formation of Kalumonan which is an organizational expression of such solidarity”, Castanares said.

“Their solidarity is rooted on their joys, sufferings, despair and hope that the struggle to free all political prisoners is worth fighting for', she added.


For reference:

Fe Castanares
KALUMONAN Spokesperson
Contact Number: 09108271474
     
     
           
     
     
     

x

 

IF PNOY IS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, HE MUST STOP POLITICAL PERSECUTION AND FREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS! – Karapatan
 

Submitted on Wed, 09/14/2011 - 03:00 Karapatan National Press release
 

Today, September 13, former political prisoners, relatives and friends of political prisoners as well as members of human rights organizations hold a sympathy fast in front of Camp Crame, the headquarters of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the PNP Custodial Center where several of the political prisoners are detained, to reiterate their call to the national government to free all the political prisoners all over the country. Taking off from PNoy’s “marching orders” to the new PNP chief not to let bosses down, Karapatan expressed frustration over the government’s inaction to release political prisoners who are unjustly detained because of fabricated charges.

“We don’t understand what the government is waiting for when clearly all the political prisoners especially the sick, the elderly, the women and those covered by the JASIG should have been released earlier. The political prisoners are falsely accused of crimes they have not committed, contrary to PNoy’s continued mantra that his government is for human rights,” said Marie Hilao-Enriquez, Karapatan chairperson. Karapatan bewails the fact that political prisoners who are incarcerated because of their political beliefs are falsely charged with common crimes to hide the government’s political persecution of those it labels as “enemies of the state.” This is a very clear violation of the political prisoners’ rights and to correct this transgression, it would do well for the government to release them.

Among the Karapatan list of political prisoners are innocent civilians in Moro/Muslim areas, who were arrested, detained and tortured in the conduct of the government’s so-called anti-terrorism campaign. They are invariably presented to the public as members or supporters of what are labeled as terrorist organizations such as the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and Jemaiah Islamiah (JI). Many are intentional victims of mistaken identity, fake ransom claims and have been made as sacrificial lambs in exchange for more “anti-terrorist” U.S. aid.

Today, Karapatan joins members of SELDA and the families of political prisoners in holding a sympathy fast to call on the PNoy government to release the 360 political prisoners (as of 30 August 2011). The sympathy fast coincides with various jail protest activities from September 13 to 21, the commemoration of the declaration of Martial Law.

The fasting of political prisoners and their supporters from September 13-21 is the second for this year. The first was held in July in time for the President’s second SONA. “Political prisoners and people’s organizations nationwide have carried out a series of actions starting this year to call for a general, unconditional and omnibus amnesty but PNoy remains deaf,” said Hilao-Enriquez. “More than one year is too long a wait for those who were wronged and for those who seek justice. He should know this; he and his family were victims of political persecution during martial law.”

Karapatan stressed that the President is capable of releasing political prisoners as he did when he released the members of Magdalo who rebelled against Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. All he has to have is the political will to release those who are wrongly imprisoned.

 
     
     
           
     
     
           
           
=          
==          
     
     
           

x

Oplan Bayanihan’s brutality hides under the slogan of “human rights, peace and development”—Karapatan


Submitted on Thu, 09/22/2011 - 12:00 Karapatan National Press statement
 

Extrajudicial killings and other human rights violations continue despite the government’s claim that its new counter-insurgency program Oplan Bayanihan adheres to human rights and that the AFP is in the communities for peace and development.

The killing of Rabenio Sungit, 44 years old, is the latest incident of extrajudicial killing under the P-Noy government. Sungit was shot dead on September 5, 2011 in a public market in the Municipality of Quezon, Palawan. He was with his wife Trinidad and son Rocky when the incident happened. Trinidad saw the long-haired triggerman who left the scene through a motorcycle driven by another person.

Prior to the incident, Trinidad said that elements of the Philippine Marines visited them frequently. A known military informer in the community was also constantly asking for Sungit’s whereabouts. Shortly before the killing, Sungit attended a human rights seminar in Puerto Princesa. Rabenio Sungit was a lay leader of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), leader of the indigenous group PAGSAMBATAN (Pagkakaisa ng mga Katutubo or Unity of Indigenous Peoples) and a member of ANAKPAWIS Partylist.

Rabenio’s brother Abe Sungit, who was listed in the military’s “order of battle”, was killed in 2005 under GMA’s Oplan Bantay Laya. Both were killed by motorcycle-riding men. Both were leaders of the indigenous peoples who fought for their ancestral lands against the encroachment of large-scale mining companies in their communities.

Previous to this, on the night of September 2, 2011, seven-year old Sunshine Jabinez, a second grade pupil, was killed while sleeping in their home in Purok 3, Biasong, Bgy. Napnapan, Pantukan, CompostelaValley. A drunken PFC Baltazar Ramos went wild, fired his gun into the air and the bullet found its way into the sleeping child. The girl was wounded on her right buttocks and was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. According to the doctor, the bullet made its way to the spinal cord and to her stomach. Earlier in the evening, PFC Ramos of the Bravo Company of the 71st IBPA, 10th ID had a fight with a fellow soldier then with a civilian after a drinking spree with other members of the military stationed in the community of Bgy. Napnapan.

The military has become more visible in the community since 2010 when the Napnapan Mineral Resources, Inc. (NMRI) was granted a Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA) by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau. The MPSA gives the NMRI the right to mine, for 25 years, the nearly 5,000 hectares of land in Sitios Napnapan and Sitio Ayan in Brgy. Kingking. The military justifies their presence in the community as part of their peace and development efforts.

Sunshine Jabinez’s death is one of the 14 documented cases of violation of children’s right to protection of safety by the state in Bgy. Napnapan, Pantukan, CompostelaValley since 2009.

Both the deaths of Sunshine Jabinez and Rabenio Sungit are related to military presence and operations in mining areas. The military deployed in the areas hide behind the catchphrase of peace and development to justify their presence in the communities or as an excuse for combat operations. But no matter what they say, their mere presence in the communities poses risk on the lives of the people as evidenced by the concrete actions they take against the people such as harassment, intimidation, arrests and detention, enforced evacuation, enforced disappearances and killings, among others.

Now, the military says that their counter-insurgency program, Oplan Bayanihan, is for winning the peace. We hope they don’t mean the peace of the grave or the people’s meekness and silence over human rights violations.

As of end June, there are already 50 incidents of extrajudicial killings under the P-Noy administration, 19 of these are under the banner of Oplan Bayanihan. ###

 
     
     
           
     
     
     
     
           
     
     
     
     
   
 

 

She added, “Pres. Aquino should emulate his mother Cory’s peace effort when she granted the unconditional release of all political prisoners after Martial Law. If Noynoy granted amnesty to some 400 rebel soldiers, why can’t he extend amnesty to the political prisoners now?”


Meanwhile, the KALUMONAN, a group of families of political prisoners in Southern Mindanao called for the expeditious release of all political prisoners.

 

Kalumonan chairperson, Leo Binoya, Sr., told the media that his son, Leo Binoya, Jr., had been detained for almost 4 years since his arrest in Compostela Valley Province.


“Our poverty, the injustices we experienced as farmers who almost had nothing to eat, led my son to fight for equity and justice. He believed that change was also necessary. These beliefs led him to the cause he was being jailed for. It is not fair for him to be called a common criminal,” lamented Binoya.

Leo Binoya, Jr., is among the 24 political prisoners in the region, with NDFP peace panel consultant Edwin Brigaňo, charged with trumped-up cases of common crimes. The situation of political prisoners is worsened by the slow-paced resolution of cases in the courts.

The Samahan ng mga Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto (SELDA) Southern Mindanao Region stressed that a call for general, unconditional and omnibus amnesty for the 360 political prisoners, including the 14 detained consultants of NDFP peace panel should be granted before or during the resumption of the second round of peace talks between the NDFP and Government of the Philippines (GPH) next month as a confidence building measure.

“If the Aquino administration is true to its words in trudging the “daang matuwid” (righteous path) and sincerity to the peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), it should have rectified its injustices towards the political prisoners and victims of human rights violations”, said Fe Salino, Secretary General of SELDA SMR.

“General means all political dissenters who were arrested, charged or detained for common crimes but in fact are alleged acts in pursuit of one’s political convictions should be released. Unconditional means no precondition shall be set before their release. Further, omnibus means that all charges and offenses are covered by the amnesty,” she clarified.#


FOR REFERENCE:

FE SALINO
Secretary-General, SELDA-SMR
Mobile No. 09202105911


LEO BINOYA, SR.
Father of Political Prisoner, Leo Binoya, Jr.
Chairperson, KALUMONAN


CHING MONTAJES
Mother of Political Prioner, Maricon Montajes
Convenor, Task Force Maricon

 

PRESS RELEASE
30 September 2011

Amnesty to political prisoners pushed

Davao City – In a joint press conference here today, the families of political prisoners and former detainees renewed calls for President Benigno Aquino III to come up with an executive order for the release of all political prisoners nationwide, drumming up the calls for favourable atmosphere for the resumption of the peace talks on October.

The groups raised alarm about the recent pronouncements of Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda that there are no political prisoners in the Philippines.

“We would like to remind President Aquino that his father was once a political prisoner during fascist Marcos regime. Does this administration follow the militarist and inhumane acts of Pres. Marcos? President Aquino’s policies resemble that of the late dictator - incarceration of political activists who are merely fighting for justice and genuine reforms in our society,” said Ching Montajes, convenor of Task Force Maricon Montajes and mother of the latter who is currently detained.

Montajes’ daughter Maricon was a University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman Film Student and a member of College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP). Maricon was illegally arrested on June 3, 2010 at Taysan, Batangas by 743 Squadron Combat Group of Philippine Airforce and she is now languishing at the Batangas Provincial Jail facing trumped up charges on Illegal Possession of Explosives, Violation of Omnibus Election Code, Illegal Possession of Firearms and Ammunition, and Frustrated Homicide.
 
   
**          

 

/p

  
 

Google