Danao City Jail Political Detainees-SOLIDARITY FASTING

March 6, 2010
WE ARE ON SOLIDARITY FASTING!

We are four political detainees here at Danao City Jail (DCJ). We are holding today- March 6- a fasting to support the Morong 43 health workers illegally arrested at a seminar house in Morong, Rizal, last February 6. We strongly condemn the torture of the Morong 43 at the AFP’s Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal, where they remain illegally detained to this day.

Through this one day fasting from 1 in the morning to 11 in the evening, we add our voices to the strong clamor for the Court of Appeals (CA) in Manila to issue a favourable decision to the Morong 43’s petition for the Writ of Habeas Corpus.

By refusing to eat our regular meal ration, we send to the proper authorities our demand that the Morong 43 detainees- who include Dr. Alexis Montes and Dr. Merry Mia Clamor- be immediately transferred to the PNP’s Camp Crame, or to a similar jail facility that can put a stop to the wanton violations of the Morong 43’s basic rights, foremost of which are the rights to self-incrimination and morning-till-night interrogation, and their freedom from physical and psychological torture.

These human rights violations are expressly outlawed by Republis Act 9745, or the Anti-torture Law that was enacted last November 10, 2009. These also violate the 1998 GRP-NDF Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL), as well as the 1977 United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

We uphold that human rights violations are Marcosian acts that ultimately serve to fuel the struggle of the poor and the oppressed in our society.

Signed:

ALBERTO ACERDIN	NELSON CAPUYAN
TRINING HERMITA	RAMON PATRIARCA

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Note 1:
This fasting by the Danao City Jail Political Detainees is a follow-up to their first one-day fasting for the Morong 43 last February 15, after the AFP failed to bring to court the Morong 43 during their Writ of Habeas Corpus hearing before the Court of Appeals in Manila.

Note 2:
A similar fasting is being held today (March 6) at the Tagbilaran City District Jail in Bohol by political detainees:

RUBEN BUSALANAN	EDWIN LOFRANCO
RODRIGO MEJIAS	RODOLFO QUINIO
ANTONIO SANCHEZ	ELPIDIO TAGSIP