MANILA – ‘Morong 43’ arrest, detention illegal — CHR (tags)
Five years since the arrest, detention and release of the 43 health workers dubbed as the “Morong 43,” the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has finally issued a resolution stating that state forces violated the rights of the health workers.
Philippines - ‘Morong 43’ member killed in Bulacan encounter (tags)
Philippines– A member of the Morong 43 was killed in an encounter with government troops in Bulacan early this month, the military revealed Thursday.
Philippines: Promotion of Morong 43 jailer enrages victims, rights groups (tags)
MANILA – The recent promotion of Major General Jorge Segovia, former commander of the 2nd Infantry Division of the Philippine Army that carried out the illegal arrest of 43 health workers in February 2010, has outraged human rights groups.
‘Free the 43’ FREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS! (tags)
resident Benigno Aquino III is concerned over the detention for the past 15 years of Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma, a democracy icon like his late mother, former President Corazon C. Aquino. Last Oct. 28, while attending the Asean Summit in Hanoi, he urged Burma’s Prime Minister Thein Sein to free Suu Kyi, but predictably, the latter made no clear commitment. But while Mr. Aquino seems to be passionate in working for the release of Suu Kyi, he does not seem to be very concerned about the detention for the past nine months by government forces of 43 health workers, the so-called “Morong 43.” Last Oct. 14 Mr. Aquino said the case of the 43 detainees would have to be decided by the court that is trying them for illegal possession of firearms and explosives.
MILITARY TORTURE AND STATE TERRORISM IN THE PHILIPPINES (tags)
Despite the election of Benigno Aquino III to succeed the corrupt brutal Arroyo, 43 healthworkers continue to suffer military torture. Five are confined to the military camp alleged as self-confessed New People's Army guerillas, while 38 were transferred to Camp Bagong Diwa, Bicutan, notorious for the massacre of Moro suspects. The five persons on which the fascist generals are concentrating their torture are: VALENTINO PAULINO, CHERRYLYN TAWAGON, ELLEN CARANDANG, JENNYLYN PIZZARO, & JOHN MARK BARRIENTOS. Carandang's children were taken from their home by the military," according to KARAPATAN, human rights monitor. Their relatives are threatened or offered bribes coercively to side with the military and incriminate themselves or their kin. We appeal to the international community to denounce this barbaric treatment and demand the immediate release of the Morong 43.
MORONG 43 RETURNED BY THE POLICE BACK TO THE ARMY CAMP (tags)
The PESANTE NEWS learned today that the PNP refuses to house ‘Morong 38’ . They were asked to return to Camp Capinpin, Tanay. Rizal. In line with an order issued by a Morong, Rizal court, 38 members of the so-called “Morong 43” group of health workers were brought to Camp Crame on board a Philippine Army bus Friday morning. About half an hour later, the Philippine National Police (PNP) promptly sent them back to the military’s Camp Capinpin in Rizal, saying it had no room for them in its crowded detention facility.
CBCP Statement on the Continued Detention of the Morong 43 (tags)
The illegal arrest and continued detention of the “Morong 43” in a military facility represent serious threat to the civil liberties of the Filipino people. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) follows with grave concern the shifting accusations of the military against the health workers, the conflicting positions of government authorities on the legitimacy of the arrest and detention, and the seeming lack of regard of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for human rights and the rule of law. We are deeply worried about the wellbeing of the health workers in Camp Capinpin. We share the sentiments of other human rights groups that the presence of the detainees in a military camp makes them vulnerable to further abuses, psychological tortures, threats, and intimidation. Sustained exposure to psychosomatic strains may eventually break the fortitude and resistance of the Morong 43 into admitting under duress the accusations made against them.
U.S.-BACKED STATE TERRORISM AND MILITARY BRUTALITY IN THE PHILIPPINES (tags)
Millions of US taxpayers' money are supporting de facto President Arroyo's despotic rule in the Philippines. The continuing torture of 43 health workers may be an alibi to cover up the horrendous Ampatuan massacre and numerous corruption scandals, a preparation for martial rule by May 20. Fascist violence will surely be met by the enraged mobilization of the masses. The US public needs to protest the use of their taxdollars to fund Arroyo's extrajudicial killings, torture, and forced disappearances of thousands of Filipino civilians.
RP COURT OF APPEALS PERPETUATES INJUSTICES AND HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES (tags)
The Philippine peasant Support Network (USA) vehemently condemns the latest decision of the Court of Appeals to deny the writ of habeas corpus to Morong 43 as “grave injustice perpetrated by the courts.” Pesante-USA pointed out that “ when the courts acts as conduit of the military to justify injustice by saying it’s the rule of rule, the court does not only fail the nation but betrays its people. The courts as US president Adams said “ is the guarantee of our independence”.
AFP Award Medals to Torturers of Morong 43 (tags)
AJLPP NEWS sources learned today that Philippine Senators Pia Cayetano and Jamby Madrigal and other groups Tuesday cried foul over the awarding of Bronze Cross Medals to military officers involved in the controversial arrest and detention of 43 health workers attending a seminar in Morong, Rizal, early this month. “There’s something seriously wrong when a government institution commends its personnel for committing an illegal act,” said Cayetano in a statement.
PESANTE CONDEMNS AFP's MARTIAL LAW MIND SET (tags)
The Philippine Peasant Support Network (PESANTE-USA) vehemently condemns the AFP martial law mind set as elucidated by the 2nd Division general George Segovia in his statements against the detained Morong 43. For PESANTE-USA, the AFP has not rid itself of the martial law mindset as provided for by the post EDSa 1987 Constitution. Instead of protecting the people, they are persecuting those who are serving the people-the health workers known as the Morong 43 now illegaly detained in Camp Capinpin, Rizal, the home of the 2nd Division, Philippine Army.
PESANTE-USA CONDEMNS AFP"S DEFIANCE OF COURT ORDER ON MORONG 43 (tags)
The Philippine Support Network (PESANTE-USA) based in the United States condemns the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP for defying the court order to surface the illegally detained Morong 43. Despite the order of the by the Supreme Court, the military and the police failed to present before the Court of Appeals Friday the 43 health workers arrested on Feb. 6 on suspicion of being members of the communist New People’s Army (NPA).
FASCIST MILITARY VIOLENCE IN THE PHILIPPINES (tags)
The arrest and torture of 43 medical and health professionals in the Philippines by the Arroyo military and police seeks to obscure the ongoing Ampatuwan-Arroyo trial and rehearse emergency martial-law schemes to prolong the Arroyo regime's corrupt and brutal domination. US citizens: will you allow millions of your tax-dollars to support Arroyo's military-police in fascist abuses?
43 suspected NPA Rebels nabbed in Morong training seminar (tags)
the EPCC NEWS reported today that Philippine state forces on Saturday raided a resort in Morong, Rizal, owned by a prominent Manila doctor and arrested 43 suspected communist rebels attending a training seminar. Lt. Col. Noel Detoyato, spokesperson of the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division, said those arrested in the resthouse of Dr. Melecia Velmonte, a consultant at Philippine General Hospital and professor emeritus of the University of the Philippines’ College of Medicine, were “ranking New People’s Army (NPA) leaders.”