Manila Today
Four days before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s 3rd State of the Nation Address, Samahan ng mga Ex-Detainee Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto (SELDA) and other human rights advocates protested in front of the Department of Justice to demand for the Marcos Jr. administration to release all political prisoners, especially the sick and elderly.
The groups named Ernesto Jude Rimando, Rosita Taboy, Marites Coseñas, and Miguela Peniero among the political prisoners who are suffering from various ailments and facing harsh conditions in jail.
Rights group Karapatan documented at least 754 political prisoners in the Philippines, with 102 of them suffering from illness, including serious conditions exacerbated by harsh prison life.
“Our situation regarding human rights is not good, if not worsened. Why do I say it’s not good or unacceptable? Because despite the change in administration from Duterte to Bongbong Marcos, human rights violations continue; the killings of activists continue. Such killings in the so-called war on drugs continue. Cases of forced disappearances also persist. The filing of fabricated cases against activists continues, and supporters of various progressive organizations are being suspected.” Karapatan deputy secretary-general Jigs Clamor explained.
Release all political prisoners
Rimando, 56, has been admitted to the Philippine General Hospital for over a month with a life-threatening case of liver cancer. According to Rimando’s guardian, he would always scream due to excruciating pain.
On January 6, 2021, Rimando was taken into custody without a warrant and subjected to abuse by his captors. The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) neglected to attend to his medical needs despite his failing health. Karapatan noted that the delayed and prolonged court hearings have only worsened his condition.
“The current condition of Ernesto Jude Rimando is that he is confined here at the Philippine General Hospital because he is severely ill. He has advanced-stage liver cancer. In addition, he has a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. But primarily, what he is really suffering from is his liver cancer,” said Clamor.
According to Clamor, Rimando is being guarded by four personnel from BJMP.
On the other hand, Taboy, 79, demands better access to healthcare to prevent suffering from the same ailments that afflicted her husband, Antonio Legaspi, who died on May 26, 2023.
Meanwhile, Coseñas, a 49-year-old activist for the peasant movement and a member of Gabriela in Northern Samar, was taken into custody on false accusations of double murder on January 27, 2009,
In May 2024, Coseñas underwent a left breast mastectomy after she was observed having a large lump for two years. Despite the biopsy revealing the mass was benign, Coseñas continues to suffer from severe discomfort following the surgery.
Peniero, 56, is a cancer survivor who continues to deal with health issues such as psoriasis, hypertension, and hypothyroidism. She is currently detained at the female dormitory in Calamba City Jail.
“We demand justice and compassion for these political prisoners who are suffering from illnesses and are being denied their basic human rights,” said SELDA spokesperson Danah Marcellana.
Pull out military troops in urban, countryside
Clamor also lambasted the continuing militarization both in the urban and countryside.
“Many communities across different parts of the country—Northern Luzon, central Visayas, even in Mindanao—have experienced bombings. We know that when bombings occur, communities and civilians inevitably get affected. This is why we can say that the state of human rights in our country is unacceptable and dire,” Clamor explained.
In Metro Manila, the 11th and 12th Civil Military Operations have since conducted surveillance, harassment, and encampment in various communities in Tondo, Quezon City and CAMANAVA area.
Defend Manila reported the encampment of 11th CMO in Tondo last year on March 9, after the protest action in commemoration of International Working Women’s day.
Since then, nearby communities along Radial Road 10, including Happyland, Aroma, and Vitas Katuparan, have been patrolled by the military to bolster local barangay peace and order efforts.
Aside from communities, schools and universities across the metro have also reported incidents of police or military personnel entering their premises.
The National Union of Students of the Philippines NCR condemned such attempts to harass and vilify students, whether they are leaders or ordinary individuals merely expressing their dissent.
“Campus militarization has become widespread under yet another Marcos Jr. administration. Evidently, the current Marcos Jr. admin is only afraid of the youth becoming aware of the real state of society and, from there, fighting to achieve genuine democracy and freedom,” said Rebecca Baliton of NUSP NCR.
