PROGRESS Lawyers Network salutes the Morong health workers in their struggle for freedom and justice!
From Belgium, we fully support their hunger strike and demand their immediate and unconditional release!
Today, December 6, the health workers called the Morong 43 have been in preliminary detention for 10 months. It has been 10 months since they have been illegally arrested, detained and tortured, while they were only attending medical trainings in order to provide elementary medical help to Filipino’s living in the provinces.
Their situation is that bad, that on December 3, the Morong 43 started a hunger strike for freedom. Relatives and supporters from all over the world are joining them.
Please find in attachment our open letter to President Aquino and Justice Secretary De Lima.
As members of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers, we visited the health workers in Camp Bagong Diwa in Metro Manila on September 20. We saw ourselves in what terrible living conditions both the men and the women are living. Two of the women have given birth and they may be send back anytime, to an unventilated prison cell of about 40 square meters, where 23 women are living on top of each other without decent hygienic facilities.
We welcomed the initiative of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima to review the case.
President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III himself revealed that there are “questions on all the evidence”. We were happy to hear him refer to “the concept in law called fruits of the poisonous tree—it can’t be used against the defendants”.
In a democratic regime, a President should not stay on the sidelines when human rights are not respected, when people are suffering injustice. Certainly not when that President can end the injustice immediately. Why wait for a Court to declare the evidence inadmissible and to order their release?
We understand that the Morong 43 have a pending appeal on the Supreme Court over their writ of habeas corpus and writ of amparo. Until that case is settled, there will be no proceedings at the Regional Trial Court. The health workers are caught in limbo.
PROGRESS Lawyers Network appeals to the President and to Justice Secretary Leila De Lima to order the withdrawal of the cases against the health workers.
Free the Morong 43!
Free all political prisoners!
In solidarity,
Belgium, December 6, 2010
For PROGRESS Lawyers Network
Atty. Jan Fermon
Atty. Jo Dereymaeker
Atty. Lies Michielsen