Relatives of 43 health workers file petition before SC, demand their immediate release

Press Release
By KARAPATAN
February 9, 2010

QUEZON CITY  –  Human rights alliance Karapatan joins the relatives of the 43 abducted and illegally detained health workers in their filing for the petition of the writ of habeas corpus at the Supreme Court today.

The relatives were led by Karapatan Deputy Secretary General Roneo Clamor, whose wife Dr. Merry Mia-Clamor is one of the doctors forcibly taken by the joint military and police forces last Saturday, February 6.

The health workers were held incommunicado for almost three days in Camp Capinpin, Tanay, Rizal, and were denied their right to see their relatives and lawyers. It was only yesterday afternoon when some of the relatives, along with Commission on Human Rights Chairperson Leila de Lima, were allowed inside the camp to talk to the victims.

The petition prayed that all of the 43 health workers be presented before the Court and be immediately released.

Karapatan vowed to continue to support the relatives in their fight to free their illegally detained loved ones. “We will continue to demand for the release of these doctors, nurses and health workers,” Secretary General Lovella de Castro said. “We are counting the days that this regime is keeping the victims in detention. The longer that they are incarcerated, more people here and abroad will hold protests against the Arroyo regime and demand that they be freed.”

De Castro also warned Mrs. Gloria Arroyo that she and her military henchmen will further be put into shame before the international human rights community for this latest brazen and terrorist attack against the Filipino people.

“We have already called the attention of the international community,” de Castro said, “and we have already received letters of condemnation over the incident and support for the victims, from the countries of United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Canada and Australia, and more will flood in from other countries.”

She also reported that Filipino-American communities in the United States have trooped to the Philippine Consulates to stage protest actions.