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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Militant groups call for political prisoners' release on International Human Rights Day

Militant groups call for political prisoners' release on International Human Rights Day

Published Dec 10, 2020 04:28 pm

Amid the inclement weather and restrictions brought by the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, various militant groups marched to Mendiola, Manila in line with the International Human Rights Day on Thursday.

Members from various progressive groups converge to Mendiola on International Human Rights Day on Thursday (JANSEN ROMERO / MANILA BULLETIN)

The protesters urged the government to release around 657 political prisoners, particularly Amanda Echanis and her infant child Randall Emmanuel who were recently arrested for alleged illegal possession of firearms and explosives. 

Echanis is the daughter of slain peace consultant Randall Echanis.

Fernando Hicap, national chairman of the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya), said they "don't want another baby River." 

River, infant daughter of detained activist Reina Mae Nasino, died from respiratory failure after being separated from her mother. 

Fides Lim, spokesperson of Kapatid, a group that supports families and friends of political prisoners, said they will “seek a direct dialogue with the highest officials of the land to open prison doors and release political prisoners.”

“We would like to ask the said government officials to address the issues that breed the phenomenon of political prisoners and to craft policies that will pave the way for their release, especially the old, the sick, pregnant prisoners, and nursing mothers like Amanda Echanis who was illegally arrested with her month-old child, and to cease political arrests in the country,” she said in a statement issued on Thursday. 

“We hope that the dialogue will also facilitate official, top-level investigation of all cases of politically motivated killings as we believe that every victim of an extrajudicial killing and enforced disappearance should have been a political prisoner."

The groups also called for the junking of the Anti-Terrorism Law and the abolition of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.

They also sought an end to extrajudicial killings. 

Some protesters called for a national academic break as students, teachers and school personnel grapple with the blended distance learning set-up amid the pandemic. 

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