8/6/2019 AFAD and FIND.Joint Statement on Philippine Political Prisoners Hunger Strike

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FIND

Joint Statement of AFAD and FINDOn the Hunger Strike of Political Prisoners12 August 2011

FREEDOM TO ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS, JUSTICE TO ALL DESAPARECIDOS

The Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) and the Families of Victims ofInvoluntary Disappearance (FIND) strongly urge the Philippine government to immediately release

all political prisoners even as we lament the failure of President Benigno Simeon Aquino III to heedwith dispatch the prisoners call for freedom. Prompt and favorable response by government couldhave averted the current hapless condition of the political prisoners who are now on the 19 th day oftheir hunger strike.

There are 313 political prisoners and detainees who are still languishing in various detention facilitiesall over the country according to the Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP). But thePhilippine government continues to deny them political recognition by charging them with commoncriminal offenses. It is a clear breach of international human rights and humanitarian laws, especiallythe right to liberty as well as the international standards of fair trial and other rights of detained andconfined persons.

We, the families and friends of the victims of enforced disappearance, support the call of thepolitical prisoners on the Philippine government to rectify their erroneous arrest and deprivation ofliberty to pave the way not only for their immediate release but also to open the door for us to findour disappeared loved ones.

Most if not all political prisoners, have invariably disclosed that they have been subjected toenforced disappearance and various acts of torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatmentduring the period of their arrest and custodial investigation. Some of them have been tortured todeath like the case of the six PICOP (paper factory) workers in Agusan del Sur in the SouthernPhilippines whose tortured and lifeless bodies were burned to ashes by the members of the 62nd IDof the Armed Forces of the Philippines in October 2000.

While many among us would like to believe that our dear Desaparecidosare still unaccounted politicalprisoners, the possibility for those who have long been missing to have been mercilessly killed andunceremoniously dumped into some unmarked graves nags at our minds.

Enforced disappearance is an abominable tool resorted to by the State to eschew legitimate arrestand detention of political and social activists who are conveniently labeled as Enemies of the State.This also ensures the removal of hard evidence especially in case of secret disposal of dead bodies. Itgives rise to multiple human rights transgressions as it violates the basic rights to liberty, due processof law and ultimately to life. Enforced disappearance undeniably creates a climate of uncertainty andterror for the victims and their families and society as a whole.

8/6/2019 AFAD and FIND.Joint Statement on Philippine Political Prisoners Hunger Strike

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We, therefore, strongly urge the Philippine government to comply with its responsibilities underinternational law and fully respect human rights principles by putting an end to enforced

disappearance and witch hunting as means to stifle political dissent.

One concrete step that the Philippine government should take is to accede without reservation tothe International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. TheConvention, which upholds the right to truth and the non-derogability of the right against enforceddisappearance, requires States to criminalize enforced disappearance in their statute books.

Should the Philippine government enact an Anti-Enforced Disappearance law, it will guarantee notonly the prevention of the commission of enforced disappearance but also the illegal arrest anddetention of political prisoners As the law would require an up-to-date registry of persons deprivedof liberty among other safeguards against violation of their rights. It will also serve as a good

example to other Asian States which are facing similar phenomena of illegal detention and enforceddisappearances.

Time is indeed of the essence for human rights victims. President Aquino should act NOW. Heshould not treat the on-going hunger strike of political prisoners as merely a humanitarian issue buta basic political element towards attaining peace and justice in the country.

The President should recognize that the political prisoners are not common criminals but prisonersof conscience like his father, the late Sen. Ninoy Aquino Jr. even as he is duty bound to bring justicethe perpetrators of enforced disappearance from the Marcos regime to his own dispensation.

ASIAN FEDERATION AGAINST INVOLUNTARY DISAPPEARANCES (AFAD)&

FAMILIES OF VICTIMS OF INVOLUNTARY DISAPPEARANCE (FIND)