“Immediately release doctors and health workers,” farmers urged SC

AFP, PNP kinder to mass murderers than community doctors and health workers
“Immediately release doctors and health workers,” farmers urged SC

The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP, Peasant Movement of the Philippines) and Tanggol Magsasaka (Peasant Network for Land, Justice and Human Rights) believe that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) treated better Andal Ampatuan Jr. and his clan, suspects of the Maguindanao Massacre on November 23, 2009 that killed 57, where 34 are journalists.

“We are really bothered of this irony, where military and police were very sensitive about handling the Ampatuans during their arrests and detention while they are fascist dogs in treating the doctors and health workers, illegally arresting and torturing them to admit they were members of the New People’s Army (NPA),” said Antonio Flores, KMP Spokesperson and Tanggol Magsasaka Co-Convenor.

“This clearly shows the ideology of the military, they side with those who commit mass murders and torture who serve the people, particularly the patriotic doctors and health workers giving poor people, peasants free medical services, they are totally anti-people, anti-peasants,” Flores said.

KMP and Tanggol Magsasaka condemn the illegal arrests and torture and said that any claims by the military, including admissions of the victims would be contestable as they were tortured heavily as reported by the families, their colleagues belonging to the Health Alliance for Democracy (HEAD) and even the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) led by Chair Leila De Lima.

The groups added that another activist was illegally arrested in Binangonan, Rizal by the PNP, charging him with vagrancy but not releasing him for more than 24 hours. Arrested was Pamalakaya (fisherfolk) organizer Ronel Arambulo, 28 years old and also the former chair of Anakpawis Partylist – Binangonan chapter. He was arrested later 10 pm, February 10 while on his way to Pamalakaya-Binangonan staffhouse by elements of PNP conducting a drug-related saturation drive. Arambulo was detained at the Binangonan Police station around 11pm without clear charges. When police learned that he is a leader of Anakpawis Partylist, they turned over his mobile phone to the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) based at the said town.

“This is very alarming as military and police arrest people impetously, in full disregard of the process and respect for human rights. This clearly shows that AFP and PNP’s claim that they conduct human rights education among them are total lies,” said Flores.

“We suggest that the CHR led by Chair De Lima to review the practices of Rizal PNP as they have committed illegal arrests in less than a week,” Flores added.

The Supreme Court First Division has ordered the AFP to surface the victims as grant to the petition to writ of habeas corpus by the families and relatives of the abducted. The high court scheduled the hearing today at 2pm in Court of Appeals in Manila.

“We urge the respectable justices of the high court to immediately order the release of the doctors and health workers as their rights are continuously violated until they are liberated from the clutches of the military. The military continues to trample upon the justice system as they did to the mandate of the CHR,” Flores urged.

“We should remember that the Arroyo government has victimized peasants, workers, indigenous peoples, urban poor and other poor sectors, now they are targeting progressives from the middle class such as lawyers and doctors. This has no difference to a martial rule, we should all unite to struggle against fascism and for our democratic rights,” Flores said. #