Court denies CGMA Motion for Reconsideration on Morong 43 case

A small victory for the Morong 43 and all victims of human rights abuses under the Arroyo presidency.

This was how Dr. Alex S. Montes, member of the Morong 43 and one of the named plaintiffs in the 15-million civil suit filed against Congresswoman Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, et. al accepted today’s decision of Presiding Judge Afable E. Cajigal of Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 96.

Cited under Civil Case No. Q-11-69171, the judge found that the said Motion for Reconsideration filed by CGMA, et. al were “reiterations and mere rehash of the grounds relied upon in the defendant’s Motion to Dismiss.” The order explained that the Motion to Dismiss was “exhaustively passed upon” by the previous court Branch 226 of the QC RTC, then presided by Judge Ma. Luisa Padilla who proceeded to assume a post in the Court of Appeals.

Hence, Judge Cajigal in his decision, found no “cogent reason to depart from the previous ruling of Branch 226” and ordered that the “instant motion is hereby DENIED.”

“We are elated that the court found the basis of our arguments valid and that Mrs. Arroyo and her cohorts have an equal peg in terms of accountability for the human rights abuses we underwent in the hands of our captors,” Dr. Montes said.

He added that today’s decision only proves that no head of state or top military and police official can get away with what their minions on the ground do to innocent civilians. At the end of the day, command responsibility and state policies still govern the actions of the military and police institutions.

“We remain resolute to push on with this case until we claim justice for ourselves and all victims of human rights abuses,” added Dr. Montes.

The pre-trial was reset to January 31, 2013.

Reference:

Dr. Alex S. Montes
0927-9259413 | 929-8109

Related Articles:

• Motion for reconsideration ni CGMA sa Morong 43 case, ibinasura ng korte
• Mosyon ni CGMA sa Morong 43 case, tinabla
• Court denies CGMA Motion for Reconsideration on Morong 43 case
• Arroyo’s plea vs Morong 43 civil case junked
• Court denies GMA bid to dismiss ‘Morong 43’ damage suit

Morong 43 vs GMA et. al pre-trial set today

“Convict GMA, et. al for their human rights abuses!”

This is the battle cry of the Morong 43 in their pre-trial today at Branch 96 of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court. The group called for Congresswoman Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her top military and police officials’ conviction on the rights abuses they committed against the health workers in 2010.

“We want GMA and her cohorts to pay for their human rights abuses,” said Dr. Alex Montes, one of the Morong 43 and plaintiffs in the P15 million civil suit against the former president.

The other defendants are former National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales, former Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Victor Ibrado, former Army chief Maj. Gen. Delfin Bangit and former 2nd Infantry Division chief Maj. Gen. Jorge Segovia. Also included are Lt. Col. Cristobal Zaragosa, Maj. Manuel Tabion, Col. Aurelio Baladlad, Lt. Col. Jaime Abawag and Supt. Marion Balolong and Supt. Allan Nubleza -- all based in Camp Capinpin at the time the civil suit was filed in April 2011.

Dr. Montes recalled that today is also the third anniversary of the Ampatuan massacre and their second year of seeking justice for their plight. He furthered that the Aquino administration has “indeed fallen short on its promise of daang matuwid” because the wheels of justice grind ever so slowly and human rights violators like the Ampatuans and GMA are still not convicted.

Reference:

Dr. Alex S. Montes
0927-9259413 | 929-8109

Justice for the Morong 43! Justice for All Victims of Human Rights Violations! Alliance launched

The Justice for the Morong 43! Justice for all victims of human rights violations! Alliance was launched yesterday, September 26, at the Lung Center of the Philippines. The formation is both a campaign call and name of the alliance. The Alliance is composed of different organizations from the health sector, human rights advocates, communities, academe and individuals who commits to play vital roles in ensuring that the campaign for justice shall continue to be taken upon. It hopes to be a contributing force in making the wheels of justice turn in favor not only for the Morong 43 but to all victims of human rights violations.

The event was graced by more than a hundred people from different sectors.

The release of the Morong 43 on December 17, 2010 after ten months of illegal detention is a victory celebrated by both national and international communities. The Morong 43's release was a fruit of the people's struggle. They were freed not only by the intense legal battles but by a combination of numerous mass campaigns, in all conceivable forms, waged here and abroad by different organizations as well as individual advocates.

Seeking justice for the ordeal they have gone through, some members of the Morong 43 filed civil and criminal cases against the personalities involved and responsible for their illegal arrest, detention, and torture. However, their captors, torturers, and the masterminds of the crimes against their human rights are still in power and with authority. Some are even up for promotion and received medals during Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's presidency. Mrs. Arroyo is now Pampanga's representative in the Congress. They are still in active service in the government and continue to perpetrate further human rights violations against activists and other humanitarian workers.

To this day, cases that have been filed with the Supreme Court, Commission on Human Rights, and the Quezon City Regional Trial Court still await resolution after more than a year.

Moreover, harassments, intimidations and threats against Community Health Workers as well as health and other humanitarian workers continue in the country. The military and their agents never ceased to sow terror among the people and tag activists and health workers as communists or terrorists.

Hence, the Morong 43's struggle must continue not only for their own quest for justice but for all the victims of human rights violations as well.

What does the Justice for the Morong 43! Justice for all victims of human rights violations! Alliance intend to do?

• To serve as a rallying organization of all health professionals, health workers, and communities in asserting their right to health;
• To ensure a continuing campaign for justice through various activities, mobilizations especially on highlighted dates;
• To generate the widest possible support for the campaign and the alliance from organizations and individuals here and abroad;
• To generate continuing public awareness on human rights and justice through media events, press releases, and information education materials.

The formation of the Justice for the Morong 43! Justice for All Victims of Human Rights Violations! Alliance will serve as a reminder that the Morong 43’s continuing struggle for justice is a collective call and effort of the people to end impunity and punish all human rights violators.##

Morong 43 dismayed over Commission on Appointment’s decision to promote Gen. Segovia

Members of the Morong 43 were dismayed over the Court of Appeals’ (CoA) ruling to promote Lt. Gen. Jorge Segovia to the grade of Major General today despite strong opposition from the Morong 43 health workers, health NGO Council for Health and Development (CHD) and human rights group Karapatan.

“Although we did not have high expectations, we were still hoping that the Court of Appeals will give weight to our opposition because of the grave human rights violations we experienced in the hands of the military unit that Gen. Segovia led. But we were dismayed after finding out that the ‘deliberation’ the CoA called us in for was in fact a mere presentation of our opposition which obviously did not warrant any level of consideration from the CoA members who attended the meeting,” Dr. Alex Montes, one of the Morong 43 said.

Dr. Montes cited pending cases filed before the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), the Quezon City Regional Trial Court, the complaint for torture, Violation of Republic Act 7438 (Rights of Persons Arrested, etc.), and more recently, a criminal complaint filed by several members of the Morong 43 before the Department of Justice on Violation of the Anti-Torture Law, Violation of Republic Act 7610 and Robbery and had Gen. Segovia and Col. Aurelio Baladad as among the respondents as solid reasons why General Segovia should not be promoted.

“The acts of torture were committed with the knowledge, acquiescence, tolerance, sanction, approval, and/or even upon the orders of Gen. Segovia, as then commanding general of the 2nd Infantry Division of the Philippine Army. Gen. Segovia had publicly defended and justified his and his officers’ treatment of the Morong 43,” the doctors’ complaint read.

Upon the arrest of the Morong 43 on February 6, 2010, the arresting officers from the 202nd Infantry Brigade headed by Col. Aurelio Baladad which is under the 2nd Infantry Division of the Philippine Army headed by Gen. Segovia, together with members of the Rizal Police Provincial Office, deliberately failed to apprise the Morong 43 of their right to remain silent and their right to consult a lawyer of their own choice.

Before they were boarded into different vehicles, the arresting officers under the command and supervision of Col. Baladad, blindfolded the members of the Morong 43 and had their hands tied at their back. The blindfolds and handcuffs were kept for 36 hours straight. During this time and up to May 1, 2010 when they were transferred to Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in Taguig, the Morong 43 were subjected to different forms of torture.

During the first few days of detention at Camp Capinpin, the Morong 43 were deprived of their right to be visited by their immediate relatives, to consult with their lawyers, and they were not given the opportunity to communicate with them.

Under RA 9745 or the “Anti-Torture Law,” Gen. Segovia is liable as the immediate commanding officer of the above-stated military unit. By his own act, omission or negligence, it led, assisted, abetted or allowed, directly or indirectly, in the commission of the acts of torture.

The Commission on Appointment asserted that its job is to determine whether an officer is “fit and qualified” for the appointment, hence, its members moved for the acceptance of the appointment of Gen. Segovia. Dr. Eleanor Jara, executive director of CHD argued that an officer should not be deemed “fit and qualified” for an appointment if his records show that he was a consenting body to the torture and human rights violation of 43 health workers. Pending cases against Segovia clearly show that he is a man of questionable integrity and does not deserve a promotion, Dr. Jara furthered.

“However disappointing the CoA’s decision on the promotion of a torturer and human rights violator such as Gen. Segovia turned out to be, our groups and supporters will never give up in pursuing justice for the Morong 43 and all victims of human rights violations. We will make sure that all those who committed the crimes against us will be punished under the law – including Gen. Segovia,” Dr. Montes said.##

References:
Dr. Alex S. Montes and Dr. Eleanor A. Jara
0927-9259413 | 929-8109

Morong 43 to Commission on Appointments: No Promotion and appointment for torturers and human rights violators!

A Morong 43 doctor and the group that sponsored the First Responders’ Health Skills Training in Morong in 2010 will appear before the Commission on Appointments today to oppose the promotion of Lt. Gen. (now Maj. Gen.) Jorge Segovia because of pending cases filed by members of the Morong 43 for violation of their Constitutional rights as well as violations of several special penal laws.

In their complaints, Dr. Alex Montes one of the volunteer doctors in the 2010 Morong training and Dr. Eleanor Jara, executive director of Council for Health and Development (CHD) cited pending cases filed before the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), the Quezon City Regional Trial Court, the complaint for torture, Violation of Republic Act 7438 (Rights of Persons Arrested, etc.), and more recently, a criminal complaint filed by several members of the Morong 43 before the Department of Justice on Violation of the Anti-Torture Law, Violation of Republic Act 7610 and Robbery and had Lt. Gen. Segovia and Col. Aurelio Baladad as among the respondents.

“The acts of torture were committed with the knowledge, acquiescence, tolerance, sanction, approval, and/or even upon the orders of Gen. Segovia, as then commanding general of the 2nd Infantry Division of the Philippine Army. Gen. Segovia had publicly defended and justified his and his officers’ treatment of the Morong 43,” the complaint further read. Upon the arrest of the Morong 43 on February 6, 2010, the arresting officers from the 202nd Infantry Brigade headed by Col. Aurelio Baladad which is under the 2nd Infantry Division of the Philippine Army headed by Gen. Segovia, together with members of the Rizal Police Provincial Office, deliberately failed to apprise the Morong 43 of their right to remain silent and their right to consult a lawyer of their own choice.

Before they were boarded into different vehicles, the arresting officers under the command and supervision of Col. Baladad, blindfolded the members of the Morong 43 and had their hands tied at their back. The blindfolds and handcuffs were kept for 36 hours straight. During this time and up to May 1, 2010 when they were transferred to Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in Taguig, the Morong 43 were subjected to different forms of torture.

During the first few days of detention at Camp Capinpin, the Morong 43 were deprived of their right to be visited by their immediate relatives, to consult with their lawyers, and they were not given the opportunity to communicate with them.

Under RA 9745 or the “Anti-Torture Law,” Gen. Segovia is liable as the immediate commanding officer of the above-stated military unit. By his own act, omission or negligence, it led, assisted, abetted or allowed, directly or indirectly, in the commission of the acts of torture.

“On the basis of our sworn affidavits and existing laws that uphold human rights, we urge the Commission on Appointments not to confirm/reject the promotion/appointment of Gen. Segovia,” Dr. Montes said.##

Related Links
• Confirmation of two officers in Morong 43 case opposed.
• Groups to block promotion of military officials

Lawyers of Morong 43 decry cover-up by military, police

By RONALYN V. OLEA
Bulatlat.com

MANILA – Lawyers of health workers who filed a damage suit against former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and several military and police officials lambasted the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) for withholding information about the respondents.

The P15-million ($365 thousand) damage suit was filed, on April 4, 2011, by six of the 43 health workers, also called Morong 43. The Morong 43 were arrested on charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives and were subjected to various forms of torture. However, months after summons have been issued by a Quezon City Regional Trial Court, several of the military and police respondents have not yet been notified of the charges.

The National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL), counsel for the complainants, asked the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Brig. Gen. Herbert Yambing of the Office of the Provost Marshall General of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to locate and provide information on the “missing” respondents but both offices refused to provide any information.

Addressed at their last known assignments, the summons against Gen. Jorge Segovia, Lt. Col. Cristobal Zaragosa, Col. Aurelio Baladad, Lt. Col. Jaime Abawag, Maj. Manuel Tabion and P/Supt. Marion Balonglong were returned unserved because they were no longer assigned there. The summons to the respondents, in what is considered the first civil case for human rights violations against former president Gloria Arroyo and her security forces, were issued last November 28, 2011.

In a letter sent to the NUPL, Yambing declined to give information on the whereabouts of the military personnel purportedly because his office has “no direct knowledge” on the whereabouts of the military officers and that he supposedly has no authority to release such information. On the other hand, the PNP, through Records Management Division Chief Manuel Gaerlan, CEO VI, said in its reply that the names of Balolong and Nubleza, who have been publicly known to be part of the service, strangely do not appear in the roster of the PNP.

“This is tantamount to a cover-up of the military and the police for their peers whose accountability is being sought for their involvement in brazenly violating the rights of the Morong 43 health workers,” said Ephraim Cortez, NUPL assistant secretary for legal services.

“With their cynical unwillingness to cooperate, state security forces have put up another roadblock to justice that effectively frustrates efforts to seek accountability for human rights violations committed against the Morong 43 health workers,” said Cortez. “Either they are deliberately hiding information about those involved or they are giving us a run-around through technicalities in disclosing very simple standard details about their personnel for the purpose of serving summons, or both.”

Aside from Segovia, Zaragosa, Baladad, Abawag, Tabion, Balonglong and former president Arroyo, the other respondents in the case are former Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales, Gen. Victor Ibrado, and Gen. Delfin Bangit.

Arroyo, Bangit and Ibrado filed separate motions to dismiss the case. The NUPL already filed its reply to the motions. The court has yet to issue a resolution.

“This obstructionist attitude demonstrates the manifest bias of the military and the police in favour of those from their ranks who commit rights violations,” Cortez said.

“It shows once again how hard and sometimes frustrating it is to pursue justice for human rights violations under the present legal and judicial system and how impunity is perpetrated before, during and after a violation,” NUPL secretary general Edre U. Olalia said. “But we shall not let up. They cannot just get away with it just like that.”

One year after their release, Morong 43 still cry for justice

Today, as the world celebrates the International Day of Human Rights, members of the Morong 43 march with hundreds of others in Mendiola, Manila to amplify their call for justice.

“If there is one thing that 10 months of illegal incarceration and torture did to us, it is proving to ourselves and the people that the military under the Arroyo and Aquino governments failed to break our spirits in our quest for justice,” Nurse Gary Liberal said.

Marching alongside hundreds of others, whose economic and political rights are continued to be trampled upon, Liberal commented that the Aquino administration should work double time in building people’s confidence in the country’s justice system and not working “over-time in giving Mrs. Arroyo special treatment” by allowing her to stay in a plush presidential suite at Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC).

Liberal reminded Mr. Aquino that he should pay more attention to the inhumane conditions within regular detention facilities around the country before minding the health and comfort (including the installation of new toilets) of Mrs. Arroyo at VMMC. He added that ordinary prisoners die of curable and preventable diseases due to lack of medical attention, proper nutrition, and congestion. “He [Mr. Aquino] may be denying it, but according special treatment to Mrs. Arroyo speaks a lot about his bias for the rich and powerful.”

The spokesperson maintained that Mrs. Arroyo should be placed in a regular jail just like any regular civilian.

“It is shameful for Mr. Aquino to trumpet his parents’ legacy for being human rights defenders and staunch fighters for democracy while he continues to tolerate and encourage the culture of impunity by not doing anything to put make human rights violators accountable for their crimes. To date, not a single one of our torturers has been tried in court,” he added.

Liberal furthered that the best gift that Mr. Aquino could ever grant their families and those of other human rights victims and political prisoners is to “make Mrs. Arroyo and her cohorts pay for their crimes and grant general, omnibus, unconditional amnesty to more than 300 political prisoners in 65 jails nationwide.” This includes 2 of the Morong 43 who are still in jail.

He enjoined the Filipino people in their call to “end impunity, justice for the Morong 43, jail GMA now!”
--------------

Giving in to constant local and international pressure on his government, Mr. Aquino declared that the charges against the 43 health workers will be dropped followed by orders to release them. On December 17, 2010, 36 of the Morong 43 walked free. Two of their colleagues are still in jail because of trumped-up charges slapped by a Metro Manila court.

---

Reference:

Gary Liberal, R.N.
Spokesperson, Morong 43
Mobile: (0922)575 1689
Telefax: (+632) 929 8109

Arroyo asked to answer suit filed by six ‘Morong 43’ members

GMA News

A Quezon City court has summoned and asked former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to answer the P15-million damage suit filed against her by six members of the so-called Morong 43.

QC Regional Trial Court Executive Judge Ma. Luisa Quijano-Padilla ordered the issuance of summons to Arroyo and several others after denying the issuance of writ of preliminary attachment sought by the plaintiffs due to lack of merit.

Padilla directed the Arroyo camp to answer the damage suit within 15 days.

Morong 43 refers to the 43 health workers arrested in Morong, Rizal in February last year on allegations that they were members of the communist New People’s Army.

Six of them — Dr. Merry Mia Clamor, Dr. Alexis Montes, Gary Liberal, nurse; Ma. Teresa Quinawayan, midwife; Reynaldo Macabenta and Mercy Castro, community health workers — filed the damage suit against Arroyo, who was president when the 43 were arrested, and other officials.

Aside from Arroyo, summonses were also issued to former Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales, former Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Victor Ibrado, former Army commanding general Delfin Bangit, and other military officials.

Edre Olalia and Julian Oliva Jr., legal counsels of the plaintiffs, said the court has already prepared the summons but have yet to deliver them to the defendants as they will still provide the court additional copies of the complaint.

“This afternoon, we will be providing the court the copies of the complaint that will be attached to the summons so that they will be immediately serve to the former president and the other defendants,” they said.

Last April, the plaintiffs filed the complaint for damages with writ of application for preliminary attachment asking the court to order the defendants to pay them the amount of P2.5-million each for actual, moral, exemplary damages and attorney’s fees.

The plaintiffs, together with their lawyers, trooped to Padilla’s sala Monday and filed an urgent manifestation with motion to resolve the issuance of writ of preliminary attachment. However, upon filing the motion, the court furnished them with a copy of Padilla’s order denying their appeal.

The plaintiffs sought for the issuance of the writ of preliminary attachment asking the court to freeze the properties of the former president and the other defendants.

They claimed that sufficient causes of action exist against the defendants, particularly Arroyo, now a congresswoman representing Pampanga’s second district, noting that she has the ability and resources to fly out of the country.

But in her two-page resolution, Padilla said the plaintiffs failed to convince the court that defendants are about to depart from the Philippines with intent to defraud their creditors by their mere invocation that defendants are capable of doing so since they have been in power so long.

“While this court is well-aware that plaintiffs’ burden of showing defendants’ state of mind is difficult under the circumstances, still, a mere suspicion that there is a possibility of flight by the defendants to avoid any liability without more, is not is sufficient for a writ of preliminary attachment to issue. The rules on the application of a writ of attachment must be strictly construed in favor of the defendant,” the court said. - KBK, GMA News

Don’t let GMA flee! Jail GMA! – Morong 43

“We challenge the Aquino administration to do everything in its authority and influence to ensure that Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will not flee the country. She should be made accountable for all the crimes she committed against the people!”

Gary Liberal, R.N., spokesperson of the Morong 43 and one of the plaintiffs named in the civil suit filed on April 4, 2011 against GMA, et. al. at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court, reminded the Aquino administration that it should not forget the victims of human rights violations such as the Morong 43 case committed under GMA’s term.

Liberal, speaking in behalf of the 36 freed health workers and said that they are enraged of Mr. Aquino’s inability to act upon the cases filed against his predecessor such as to immediately free 2 of the Morong 43 who were transferred and still illegally detained in Mindoro. “Obviously, the President took a sweet time before hastily filing an electoral fraud case against GMA. Such obvious haste was unnecessary had Mr. Aquino acted swiftly on scores of other cases such as our illegal arrest and detention, the killing of Mr. Leonard Co, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and the Ampatuan massacre among others.”

Seven months since they filed a civil suit suing for damages totaling P15 million for physical and psychological torture and other forms of indignities they suffered during their illegal arrest and detention, the case has not moved beyond the first and last hearing on June 2011.

Defendants named in the suit are former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, former Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales, former Chief of Staff Gen. Victor Ibrado, Gen. Delfin N. Bangit, former commander of the 2nd Infantry Division (ID) Gen. Jorge Segovia, commander of the intelligence unit of the 2nd IDPA Lt. Col. Cristobal Zaragosa, 2nd IDPA Warden Major Manuel Tabion, commander of the 202nd Infantry Batallion (IB) Col. Aurelio Baladad, 16th IBPA commander Lt. Col. Jaime Abawag, and Rizal Provincial Police Office commander P/Supt. Marion Balolong.

Liberal added that while they had to go on a hunger strike, get punished in jail for holding noise barrage, and file numerous requests in court to assert hospital confinement for two of their pregnant colleagues Judilyn Oliveros and Mercy Castro in the Philippine General Hospital, GMA was graciously allowed by the court and authorities to be on “hospital arrest” without dropping a sweat.

While GMA is asserting her constitutional rights to life and travel, Liberal questioned her camp if “their boss ever thought of ‘constitutional rights’ when she had 43 health workers arbitrarily arrested, detained, and tortured under the hands of her military and police?”

“We have not forgotten. GMA and her cohorts should be made accountable for even the minutest crimes she committed against us and thousands of others like us. She should not be given special treatment by this government.”

Her aces may be well laid in the Supreme Court but we have the people’s movement behind us – the very force that make the wheels of history turn, Liberal added.#

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Gary Liberal, R.N.
Spokesperson, Morong 43
Mobile: (0922)5751689
Telefax: (+632 929.8109)

Three years of Cheaper Medicine Law has not made drugs affordable

Three years after the Universally Accessible Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act of 2008 (Republic Act 9502) was signed, essential drugs are still neither assessable nor affordable to ordinary Filipinos.

Health Alliance for Democracy (HEAD) today criticized the Aquino administration for perpetuating “an anemic implementation of an already watered-down law”. Citing a 2009 study by Health Action Information Network on medicine prices and availability in the Philippines, “standard treatments with these (brand-name drugs) require several days’ up to a weeks’ worth of wages”, said Dr. Geneve E. Rivera, secretary-general of Health Alliance for Democracy (HEAD).

According to the same study, “generic medicines in private facilities may be unaffordable too, requiring several days’ wages to purchase.” “Treatment courses using generic medicines in public facilities are generally affordable based on the salary of the lowest paid government worker. However, many Filipinos earn less than this wage and that managing an illness entails other costs that may eventually render even the lowest-cost treatments unaffordable.”

HEAD believes that the Aquino government has not done enough to regulate the practices of multinational drug companies. These companies have had their way in dictating drug prices, which are often three-to-four times more than prices in other countries.

“How can the Cheaper Medicine Law have any real impact when the monopoly of big transnational pharmaceutical in the drug industry continues?” said Dr. Rivera. The health group also believes that essential steps in establishing a national, a truly Filipino drug industry must be undertaken.

“While the immediate goal is to put an end to the monopoly pricing that has kept our people captive for decades, the more long-term goal is to institutionalize fundamental changes in the entire drug industry because this is the only way to ensure affordable and accessible medicine.” added Dr. Rivera. ###

R.A. 100069 declares May 7 as Health Worker's Day

Pictures of the Health Worker's Day Protest