Hundreds of prisoners start one week hunger strike, rights group says
Hundreds of prisoners nationwide started their one week hunger strike on Saturday to call for the release of the political prisoners in the Philippines.
Aya Santos, public information officer of human rights group Karapatan, said in view of observing the International day of solidarity with political prisoners, the more than 200 political prisoners and more than 400 hundred supporters in different detention facilities in the country begun fasting .
Karapatan said the inmates joining the hunger strike includes those political prisoners and sympathizers in Camp Bagong Diwa, New Bilibid Prison, Compostela Valley Provincial Rehabilitation Center, Davao Penal Colony, jails in Davao Oriental, Kidapawan, Digos City, Socksargen, Batangas and Rizal.
The hunger strike came a day after President Rodrigo Duterte pardoned four political prisoners. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, chief negotiator of the government panel negotiating peace talks with the National Democratic Front, the release of 200 more prisoners is being worked out.
The NDF, an umbrella group of all leftist groups in the Philippines, has been urging the government to free their peace consultants whom they claimed are in jail for trumped-up charges of murder and kidnapping. The call increased as one elderly prisoner died in detention.
Santos said other supporters outside jails and relatives of the political prisoners joined.
“They (some supporter and relatives of political prisoners) gathered at the “peace tent” in Mendiola, (Manila),” she said.
Santos said as of 12 pm around 200 relatives of the political prisoners and their supporters have gathered or have visited the peace tent.
She said political prisoners and their relatives and supporters will skip meals from dawn until sunset. “They will only eat dinner,” Santos said.
She noted the hunger strike is expected to last until December 10, to mark International Human Rights Day.
Boy Cadano, father of youth political prisoner Guiller said “many organizations from different sectors have already expressed their sympathy and will join the fasting during the week long activity.”
“Today, we, relatives of the political prisoners in the Philippines, will start to fast for the immediate release of our loved ones. Our message is clear: free all political prisoners now!,” he said.
"Political prisoners are victims of the government’s injustice. They are persons caring for the marginalized sectors of the society but they were jailed for trumped up charges. They are not criminals,” he added. Robina Asido/DMS
