Panay political prisoners on hunger strike

ILOILO CITY— Political prisoners in Panay sent appeals to be handed to Pope Francis when he arrives in the country in the hope that the pontiff can intercede for their release.
“Please pray for our freedom (from detention),” the political prisoners said in their letter to Pope Francis. Similar letters from political prisoners around the country were gathered by the Karapatan national office to be handed to the Pope when he arrives for a visit.
There are presently six political prisoners in Panay, three of them at the Iloilo Provincial District Jail, Nanga, Pototan, one at the BJMP in Ungka, Jaro, one at the BJMP at San Jose, Antique and one at the regional DSWD detention facility for minors, Nueva Valencia, Guimaras. They said they should be released because they were victims of trumped up cases filed in court to harass and intimidate them.
Among the detainees here are brothers Elexel and Ritchel Sejas from San Joaquin. Elexel was arrested with planted evidence of wires and a detonator, while Richel was arrested from his home despite protest on the strength of a warrant for a Rexel Sejas.
Modesto Estopido, a ranking barangay kagawad for three consecutive terms in Igbaras, Iloilo, was arrested a few months after he was released from detention in 2006 because his name was seemingly automatically added to the list of suspects in a murder case attributed to members of the New People’s Army.
“Karapatan records show there are 491 political prisoners in different detention facilities around the country,” said Reylan Vergara of Karapatan-Panay.
To human rights advocates, a most alarming practice of the government is filing trumped up charges against political offenders. The anti-insurgency program of the PNoy administration called Oplan Bayanihan, prescribes so-called observance of legal procedures, but actually uses legal tactics to “neutralize” known political dissenters both in urban and rural areas.
Eventually the charges are dismissed for lack of evidence, yet the victims suffer needlessly in jails for years before the case is resolved.
“We hope the Papal visit can somehow turn the policies and practices of the Aquino administration in favor of the respect for the rights of the people.” ###
Ref: Reylan Vergara
Secretary General
Panay Alliance-Karapatan
Mobile # 09398300744

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