THE secretary-general of a human-rights group on Thursday said only 19 political prisoners, not 71, have been released in relation to the peace talks between the government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDF).
Cristina Palabay issued the clarification in reaction to a statement made by peace adviser Jesus Dureza in a Cebu newspaper on October 31.
“Most of those released were consultants to the peace process. NDF consultant Jaime Soledad was acquitted of the charges against him and political prisoners discharged from detention from July to October 2016 were released because of their lawyers’ defense and the campaign for their releases,” Palabay explained.
While Karapatan welcomed recent reports on the upcoming release of at least 50 political prisoners, Palabay stressed that all the 400 political prisoners should be released soonest.
“We shouldn’t wait for Christmas to do what is compassionate and just, especially for the elderly, sick, women and minors, and those languishing in jails for more than ten years,” she said.
Women’s rights activist Miradel Torres, 27, gave birth to her son while in detention.
Torres was arrested in 2014, while on her way to a hospital for a check-up. Torres was charged with murder.
She denied the charge and presented proof that she was allegedly attending her child’s birthday party when the killing happened.
Three members of the Alegre family, Moreta, 70; Jesus, 71 and their son Selman, were convicted of a murder case filed by a Cadiz City landowner, who allegedly got angry with them for helping organize farmers in their community.
Moreta is suffering from a hypertensive cardiovascular disease, while Jesus has bouts of hypertension. They have been detained for 11 years.
Guiller Cadano and Gerald Salonga, both 25, were fresh graduates of University of the Philippines-Pampanga (UP Pampanga) when they conducted a research study on the impact of so-called development projects on farmers in Carranglan, Nueva Ecija, in 2014.
They were arrested after military personnel allegedly found guns and explosives planted in the house of a farmer where they were staying.
They are detained although they have not been charged in court.
Karapatan in statement reminded President Duterte and Dureza that “the release of political prisoners should not merely be treated as a confidence-building measure in the formal peace talks, but as an obligation and show of adherence to the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL).”