International Day of Action for Political Prisoners

BAYAN Canada in Toronto invites you to a Solidarity Vigil for the International Day of Action forPolitical Prisoners and in commemoration of the Filipino people'

s struggle against Martial Law

NEVER AGAIN TO MARTIAL LAW!
Expose and oppose Oplan Bantay Laya!

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2010
12:00 to 2:00 p.m.
Bathurst-Wilson Parkette
(southeast corner of Bathurst & Wilson)

BAYAN-Canada in Toronto is taking part in the International Day of Action against Oplan Bantay Laya, commemorating the struggle against Martial Law, and calling for justice for all political prisoners.

Arbitrary arrests and illegal detention are major components of Oplan Bantay Laya, the Philippine government’s blueprint for counter-insurgency which has resulted to massive human rights violations in the country since its inception.

Since 2001 until the end of former-president Arroyo’s term, there were 2,425 victims of arbitrary arrests, or arrests without sufficient and legal basis and in most situations there were non-existent warrants. Around 1,092 of them were tortured. At present, there are 388 political prisoners in various detention centers and jails in the country, 361 of them were arrested and detained under Arroyo’s term. 62 are female and six were minors during the time of their arrest.

One of the hundreds of cases emblematic of the blatant violations on human rights is that of the case of the Morong 43, the forty three community health workers and medical professional who were illegally arrested on false and fabricated charges.

At present, thirty eight of them are still in detention at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology Compound in Camp Bagong Diwa Taguig City, while five remain detained at Camp Capinpin. One recently gave birth to a baby boy and is currently under hospital arrest at the Philippine General Hospital in Manila.

The detained health workers and their families are appealing to newly elected Pres. Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III for the speedy review of their cases and their immediate release. They are likewise anticipating for the Supreme Court to act on their appeal. There situation is no different from the rest of the 388 political prisoners in the country who are still languishing in detention centers and jails, unjustly incarcerated for the crimes they did not commit.

We are calling on Filipinos and our Canadian friends in Toronto to participate in the National Day of Action on September 18, 2010. The National Day of Action coincides with the week when Martial Law was declared by the Marcos dictatorship thirty eight years ago. On this day, we hope to send out a strong appeal and message to Pres. Aquino to uphold and respect human rights by effecting the release of the 43 health workers and all political prisoners, especially since his father, the late Senator Ninoy Aquino, was a former political prisoner and his mother, former Pres. Corazon Aquino, has done this act of goodwill during the start of her presidency.

Alex Felipe
Bayan-Canada, Toronto Spokesperson

416.707.6111