Press Articles on Political Prisoners

PRESS RELEASE
October 28, 2008


“TFDP URGING FOR THE SPEEDY TRIAL OF PEGIE BOQUECOSA”

Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP), is urging the speedy disposition of the case of a political detainee named Pegie Boquecosa who is languishing in jail for over six (6) years already without trial. He is presently detained at Provincial jail, Alabel, Sarangani Province.

Boquecosa was arrested on September 11, 2002, but the formal charges against him were only filed on October 2005 or barely three (3) years after his arrest. The delayed of the resolution of his case is due to the prosecutor's negligence. Until now several scheduled hearings were postponed due to lack of time. The absence of the prosecution witness and non-availability of Judge has also contributed to the delay of his trial.

His prolonged detention without trial violated his constitutional rights to speedy trial and further deprived his family of their means of livelihood.

The case of Boquecosa demonstrates also the plight of the rest of the political detainees in the Philippines whose cases are criminalized and suffering from delay.

In Mindanao alone, there are presently 68 political prisoners/detainees languishing in 21 detention centers. They are regarded as freedom fighters whom the government refuses to recognize branding them as terrorists and criminals.

We call on Hon. Renato Puno, Supreme Court Justice to issue a directive to Hon. Jaime Infante, the handling Judge, for speedy disposition of Boquecosa's case under his program “Justice on Wheels”.

We call on to President Arroyo to look into the plight of the political detainees and order for their unconditional release.


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Friday, October 10, 2008
Sun.Star Cebu

Speak out: Teehankee and other prisoners
By Task Force Detainees of the Philippines

THE midnight release of Claudio Teehankee Jr. is another demonstration of the government's lack of sensitivity, regard for peoples' feelings and sense of justice.

Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) fully agrees to the statement of Sen. Fransisco Pangilinan that it is “indicative of the state of our system of justice…rotting away because of failed leadership and governance.”

It is indeed a sad reality that oftentimes the law itself and legal procedures are used to justify unjust acts of authorities to parry off the backlash from protesting public.

At the very least, if Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez and Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita were being true and real, they must not discriminate, in fact they should in the same manner act more speedily on the release of many other detainees languishing in jail.

There are many people who are innocent but were sentenced nevertheless for a crime for lack of competent lawyers to defend them.

Many detainees, painfully poor, have been serving their sentence long enough and much longer than Teehankee.

There are more than 250 political detainees in different detention centers in the country, and 52 are in the Visayas.

At the Leyte Regional Prison in Abuyog, Leyte, Dindo Absalon and Bonifacio Suyom have been languishing in jail since 1992 and 1996 respectively allegedly for the crime of murder.

The Bureau of Pardon and Parole promised to review and process their release since 1996 but up to now nothing has happened.

In the Ormoc Sub Provincial Jail, Marilou Aligato, a mother of six young children, is jailed allegedly for murder.

In Cebu, there are at least three political detainees charged with murder (Julio Cabusas at the Cebu City Jail and Jerry Labandero and Jimmy Cabarientos at the Talisay City Jail).

Their hearings have been consummated years ago. They are all awaiting decision and hoping to be released.

To think that political detainees, unlike Teehankee, are not supposed to be detained because the acts they have committed were done because of their political belief.

Their cases are not like that of Teehankee, whose crime was borne out of passion and deserve a public condemnation.

If Teehankee was released, should not the political detainees, particularly those we have mentioned above, be released soon too?

Can we also invoke the need for speedy decision on their cases, like in the Teehankee case?