With the observance of the International Human Rights Day today, Dec. 10, the government was urged to release political prisoners for humanitarian reasons, particularly those elderly and sickly.
In a statement, Kapatid – a support group of families and friends of political prisoners – said its appeal was in line with the call of the United Nations Human Rights High Commissioner that we are “all human, all equal.”
Through Spokesperson Fides Lim, Kapatid pointed out the case of an elderly political prisoner Alexander Birondo, 67 years old and staff of the National Democratic Front (NDF) negotiating panel, who, together with his wife Winona were detained at Camp Karingal in Quezon City.
It said that Birondo has been suffering from hypertension and diabetes and had been rushed to the Rizal Medical Center in Pasig City after exhibiting symptoms of a stroke.
Kapatid said that couples Alexander and Winoma were arrested on July 23, 2019 for “obstruction of justice.” It said the police later claimed that firearms and explosives were found inside the couples’ apartment in Quezon City.
“On Aug. 13, 2021, Judge Ferdinand Baylon of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 77 quashed the search warrant for lack of probable cause but the Birondo couple is still in prison as the ‘obstruction of justice’ case filed against them remains pending,” Lim said.
Lim pointed out that Alexander’s hospitalization showed the fragility of life for political prisoners “although he should have walked out of prison together with Winona more than three months ago were it not for the clearly fabricated case of illegal possession of firearms and explosives.”
“Kapatid seeks to dialogue with compassionate officials and it is to the advantage of the government that they talk to us and to victims of rights violations as the Duterte regime remains under intense pressure from the International Criminal Court and the UN human rights arm for massive human rights violations,” Lim said.
“In fact, it would make them look good if they release even only an immediate handful of political prisoners among the elderly and sick long deserving of release on legal and humanitarian grounds,” she added.
Kapatid also urged the government to heed the message of UN Human Rights High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet that “at the heart of human rights lie the principles of equality and non-discrimination, that we are all human, all equal.”
It said: “This guarantee covers the 712 political prisoners as well but who are the subject of government discrimination, retaliation and prolonged detention simply because of their political beliefs.”
A political prisoner “is someone imprisoned for their political activity and the political offense is not always the official reason for the prisoner's detention.”