Taiwan Committee for Philippine Concerns (TCPC)

We call on Arroyo to Stop Terrorizing the Filipino People
Immediate and Unconditional Release of the Illegally Arrested 43 Health Professionals in the Philippines.

10 February 2010

Reference:
Prof. Hsia, Hsiao-Chuan
TCPC Chairperson
Contact nos. +886-2-2236-8225 ext. 63516


The Taiwan Committee for Philippine Concerns (TCPC), a network of Taiwanese in solidarity with the Filipino people’s aspiration for genuine democracy and for the protection of human rights in the Philippines, condemns the recent illegal arrest, detention and torture of the 43 health workers and doctors by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in Morong, Rizal, Philippines.

The TCPC received reports that the arrest was conducted by the AFP without any court order or warrant of arrest which make the arrest illegal. Dr. Melecia Velmonte, a known medical professional in the country, informed the arresting military personnel that the 43 health professionals and workers were conducting a health seminar/training in her private premises but this was ignored. Instead, those arrested were blindfolded, taken to undisclosed place before ending up in a military camp, starved and tortured.

Even a pregnant woman was not spared from illegal arrest and detention.

The TCPC hold the government of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo responsible for this illegal action of her armed forces. TCPC believes that this inhuman act is a desperate move of the AFP and the government of Arroyo to sow terror among the people and to discredit the legal progressive organizations by linking them to the New People’s Army.

We know that the election fever in the Philippines is now starting, so the acts of terror of those in power towards the Filipino people are intensifying.

We demand an immediate and unconditional release of the 43 illegally arrested health professionals and workers. We further demand to put to justice the perpetrators of this terrorist action.

We also call the attention of our compatriots Taiwanese who invest their multi-million dollar capital to the Philippines to rethink supporting a terrorist regime like Arroyo.