Vice-presidential candidate Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan and senatorial candidate Jose Manuel 'Chel' Diokno, head of the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) that handles the case of Dr. Ma. Natividad Castro, demanded information on her whereabouts after authorities arrested and detained her on alleged trumped-up charges.
Castro is a volunteer doctor for the Lumad, indigenous people in southern Philippines. She was accused of being an official of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) for providing medical assistance to the Lumad people.
On Friday, Feb. 18, police officers arrested Castro from her home in San Juan purportedly on the basis of a warrant of arrest issued by the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 7 of Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur, on charges of alleged kidnapping and serious illegal detention.
“FLAG demands that the PNP, through the Chief of the PNP, officially confirm Dr. Castro's whereabouts to her counsel and her family, present her physically to and grant access to counsel and family and to all others she may request under RA 7438 and RA 10353 within 24 hours; failing which, the appropriate criminal and administrative suits will be filed,” the statement from FLAG, signed by Diokno, said.
“Additionally, FLAG demands that Dr. Castro be provided access to medical and mental health care by a doctor of her choice under RA 9745, sec. 12,” it added.
The group, which provides free legal assistance to Filipinos who have no access to legal aid, also demanded an “official investigation” to identify all officials responsible “for denying family members and counsel access to Dr. Castro and for the PNP to submit a report on action taken within 48 hours.”
The statement said that Castro was not allowed to see her legal counsel, including the lawyers from FLAG, as well as her sister who only wanted to bring her medication and test kits. The doctor has hypertension and diabetes.
Castro was apparently brought to Camp Crame from her residence in San Juan. After which, she was brought to the airport to be “delivered to the court” in Butuan City.
READ: Doctor tagged by PNP as ‘communist terrorist leader’ arrested in San Juan; family decries allegation
FLAG, however, said there was no confirmation on flight details pertaining to Castro's transit to Agusan del Sur.
“Throughout the whole afternoon and continuing to the present, none of her relatives or lawyers have been able to gain access to Dr. Castro and no official confirmation from her captors, the PNP, has been made as to her whereabouts. Dr. Castro has been denied access to her counsel and to her family, in violation of her rights under the Constitution and the law,” the statement read.
Pangilinan, who is the running mate of Vice President Leni Robredo, called the arrest “martial Law-like,” adding that the warrant of arrest reportedly does not even have specify her name while the police officer who arrested her was in civilian clothes.
“Gawain ‘yan ng mga kriminal at walang pagkilala sa batas, hindi ng mga alagad ng batas (That is the work of criminals and without regard for the law, not officials of the law),” the senator said.
He promised to provide Castro legal, medical and moral support.
Castro, who graduated cum laude from the University of the Philippines-College of Medicine, brought Lumad people, who were victims of militarization, to the United nations in Geneva to seek help for them in 2016.