Release of all political prisoners sought

MANILA, Philippines – The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) yesterday asked the Aquino government to release all political prisoners still detained at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City.

In a statement sent to The STAR, the NDFP peace consultants and other political prisoners who are still in detention said they are joining the International Day of Solidarity for Political Prisoners.

“We express our warmest solidarity with all political prisoners in the country and the world, with whom we raise high our urgent calls for justice, human rights, political and socio-economic reforms, peace and freedom,” the statement reads in part.

The NDFP thanked the International League of Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS) for its significant role in designating Dec. 3 as “the particular day of solidarity for political prisoners of all nations, expressing concern for the dire conditions of political prisoners and vigorously supporting the struggle of political prisoners.”

Despite the denial of the Aquino government of their existence, the NDFP claims there are more than 500 Filipino political prisoners languishing in jails and suffering inhumane and fascist conditions, trumped-up charges, slow trial and unjust detention.

They also said that at least 17 NDFP peace consultants and staff workers are still subjected to surveillance, arrest, imprisonment, torture and other human rights violations, trumped-up charges, and other acts that would “deter our effective participation and work in the peace process.”

“Reactionary ruling regimes, in succession, have grossly been violating those agreements and, up to the present regime, been refusing to rectify their gross violations of agreements,” the NDFP said.

Aldub prisoners

The NDFP also cited several couples, referred to as “Aldub political prisoners,” who are kept at Camp Bagong Diwa, including Ruben Saluta and Precy Estrada, Alex Birondo and Winona Oñate, and Adel Silva and Sharon Cabusao.

The couples were transferred from police detention in Camp Crame, where they enjoyed staying in the same jail cell, to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) facility at Camp Bagong Diwa, where male political prisoners are confined at the Special Intensive Care Area Jail and their partners at the Female Dormitory of the Taguig City Jail.

Alan Jazmines, NDFP peace consultant, likened the couple political prisoners to the phenomenal love team “Aldub” saying the new barriers (distance and walls) failed to contain their love for each other.

“The separately confined political prisoner couples are still able to create a new way of communicating with each other. They are still able to exchange love letters with the help of their relatives and other common visitors providing them free mail courier service,” Jazmines said.  – With Rhodina Villanueva