43 health workers, victims of human rights abuses are modern-day St. Valentine

The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP, Peasant Movement of the Philippines) and Tanggol Magsasaka (Peasant Network for Land, Justice and Human Rights) likened St. Valentine to Morong 43 and victims of human rights abuses under the Arroyo government. This is because St. Valentine was killed for his belief and became a martyr without giving in to his tormentors.

St. Valentine was a priest during the reign of Roman Emperor Claudius II from 268 to 270 AD. It was a time of war when Emperor Claudius was problematic about diminishing forces as married men do not want to leave their families and single men do not want to abandon their loved ones. As an impulsive measure, he decreed a law prohibiting marriage which St. Valentine did not support sturdily.

Thus, St. Valentine continued to marry couples secretly as he believed non-marriage while people were living in together would result to sin. One night he was arrested and sent to prison. He was offered freedom in a condition to renounce his faith, which he totally declined. He was ordered condemned to death, beaten with clubs, then beheaded. His death was placed on February 14, 270 AD.

“The history of Valentine concretely occurs today, such as the circumstance of the 43 illegally arrested and tortured health workers now detained in Camp Capinpin and victims of human rights abuses under the Arroyo regime,” said Antonio Flores, KMP Spokesperson and Tanggol Magsasaka Co-Convenor.

“St. Valentine did not renounce his beliefs and fought for what was right, thus, he was killed by the fascist Emperor and died as a martyr,” he added.

“At present, the arrested 43 health workers are being tortured and sexually harassed by the 2nd Infantry Division of the Phil. Army based in Camp Capinpin, to force them to admit to be members of the New People’s Army (NPA) and crimes they did not commit. They are resolutely resisting thus they are being held in brutal conditions worse than petty criminals and mass murderers,” Flores said.

KMP and Tanggol Magsasaka said that peasant victims of human rights violations are similar to St. Valentine’s fate. To date, 562 peasant leaders and activists were victims of extra-judicial killings, 119 were KMP leaders and 129 were of enforced disappearances. The peasant sector has also the largest number of political prisoners being incarcerated in jails nationwide.

“In this day of love, the celebration is not exclusive to romantic love, but it would be morally upright to uphold love to one’s country, particularly calling for the release of the 43 health workers and justice for the victims of human rights abuses. We should note that the health workers were training in order for them to further serve the poor who do not have access to medical services, this is their love to the country and fellow brothers and sisters,” Flores said.

“On the contrary, the Arroyo government who is worse than the Marcos dictatorship, who kills peasants, workers, indigenous people, youth, women, urban poor and many more, does not deserve to be loved but to be ousted from power. Justice to the victims of human rights abuses would only be served when Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is already not president,” Flores called. #