Ten months is enough, withdraw all cases against the Morong 43 now

Four days prior to the observance of the International Human Rights Day, relatives and supporters of the Morong 43 renewed their call for the immediate withdrawal of all cases filed against the incarcerated health workers in Camp Bagong Diwa. By joining the 43 health workers' hunger strike, they took their campaign for freedom and justice to a higher level. They declared their all-out support for the Morong 43's hunger strike which began Friday last week.

Carlos Montemayor, a registered nurse and spokesperson of the Free the Morong 43 Health Workers! Alliance revealed that relatives and supporters will also hold a hunger strike beginning today at the Philippine Independent Church along Taft Avenue in solidarity with the health workers.

The hunger strike will continue until their demand for the Morong 43's unconditional release is realized, the group said.

Meanwhile, the group expressed optimism on Department of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima's pronouncement that she has submitted another memorandum to Malacañang on December 3 addressing in part the plight of the Morong 43. “We hope that Sec. De Lima will do everything in her authority to make the President realize that rectification of errors in this case means the withdrawal of all charges filed to facilitate the immediate and unconditional release of the health workers,” Montemayor added.

Montemayor furthered that the DOJ executive's hope of finding closure to the case is shared by their group. However, closure can only be achieved when the Morong 43 are unconditionally released and the people behind the case are punished – regardless of their position and influence in the government, he added.

The group said that they are aware that the perpetrators of this gross human rights violation are doing everything it takes to block the executive and judiciary branch from releasing the 43. “The health workers were stripped of their basic political and democratic rights ten months ago today. They are on a hunger strike because they are fighting for a just and principled demand,” Montemayor said.

The group pinned hopes that Sec. De Lima will not succumb to pressures from the military and other government officials behind the Morong 43's detention.

Montemayor vowed that different groups and supporters of the Morong 43 here and abroad will be holding protest activities in similar forms if the Philippine government will continue to detain the health workers.##

---

Reference:
Carlos Montemayor, RN
0922 499 6237 / (+632) 929 8109