Call to International Networks in Support of Morong 43 and All Political prisoners

Today, December 3, the Morong 43 started their hunger strike for freedom. December 6 would be the 10th month of their illegal arrest and detention.

We demand their immediate and unconditional release. The 43 health workers, who were attending a grassroots medical training, are victims of illegal search, arrest, detention and torture. They are ridiculously charged with illegal possession of explosives. The pieces of evidence against them are either planted or inadmissible since these are, in legal jurisprudence, "fruits of the poisonous tree".

Charges against them can be withdrawn if only President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III will heed the advice of respected legal minds including the Secretary of Justice. That he continues to pass the burden to courts can either mean ignorance of the legal process or propensity for sticking his head in the sand.

Aside from the main venue of the hunger strike at Camp Bagong Diwa, a Support the M43 Hunger Strike Center has been set up in Manila for the families, other relatives, friends and multi-sectoral networks and individuals who will be on sympathy hunger strike or fasting. Cultural groups plan to perform at the center.

Political prisoners in various detention centers and prisons in different provinces will hold their own fasting and/or sympathy act such as noise barrage and others. Their actions aim to cap the year's campaign to free all political prisoners especially those who have long been deprived of their liberty like Angie Ipong in Misamis Occidental, Eduardo Serrano and Eduardo Sarmiento in Camp Crame and Sandino Esguerra in Camp Bagong Diwa.

Let us drum up international support for the Morong 43 and all political prisoners. You may:

• Join the hunger strike on December 6, their 10th month anniversary in jail, and issue a statement of support;
• Organize sympathy fasting or a few-day hunger strike;
• Picket the Philippine Embassy and demand freedom for the Morong 43 and other political prisoners especially Ipong, Serrano, Sarmiento and Esguerra;
• Highlight the hunger strike in your commemoration of human rights week and December 10 International HR Day;
• Lobby with your parliament, congress and/or senate;
• Write your ambassadors stationed in the Philippines;
• Encourage international organizations/institutions and those in your network to send support statements to the hunger strike (addressed to Malacanang cc Philippine Embassy in your country, Secretary of Justice Leila de Lima and Karapatan);
• Keep those postcards coming, we want them by the thousands;
• Circulate this and further announcements plus the hunger strike bulletins which we will issue from time to time;
• Solicit financial and material support for the Morong 43, other political prisoners and their families; and
• Share your ideas with us and others so we can have a variety of support actions.

Free the Morong 43!
Release Angie Ipong, Eduardo Serrano, Eduardo Sarmiento and Sandino Esguerra!
Free all political prisoners!