Hunger Strike for FREEDOM and HUMAN RIGHTS

The political prisoners nationwide led by those in the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City have taken a step further from an indefinite fast into a full-scale hunger strike last July 25 coinciding with the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Benigno S. Aquino III.

Rights group urges gov’t to release cancer-stricken political prisoner - Nation - GMA News Online - Latest Philippine News

Rights group urges gov’t to release cancer-stricken political prisoner - Nation - GMA News Online - Latest Philippine News

As the government continues to look into the alleged VIP treatment of homicide convict former Batangas Governor Jose Antonio Leviste, a rights group asked President Benigno Aquino III to release an ailing political detainee.

The alleged VIP treatment given to Leviste by national penitentiary officials had urged the Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) to call for the immediate release of political prisoner Mariano Umbrero, who is diagnosed with cancer.

“We pray for Umbrero’s health and that God may touch PNoy’s heart and convince him to exercise his power to grant executive clemency to Tatay Umbrero whose health is deteriorating rapidly," TFDP executive director Emmanuel Amistad said.

Rights Group Urges P-Noy to Immediately Release an Ailing Political Prisoner

A human rights group Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) appeals to President Benigno Simeon Aquino III for the immediate release of an ailing 63-year old political prisoner. “We strongly appeal to President Aquino to immediately release Tatay Umbrero on humanitarian grounds for his illness to be promptly and properly addressed,” TFDP said in a statement.

Mariano Umbrero is a political prisoner at the national penitentiary New Bilibid Prison (NBP) and was also a victim of human rights violations during the Marcos regime.  He was recently diagnosed with lung cancer.

URGENT APPEAL (Philippines): Immediate and Unconditional Release of Ailing Political Prisoner

URGENT APPEAL (Philippines): Immediate and Unconditional Release of Ailing Political Prisoner

Background Information

Case:  Diagnosed with Lung Cancer
Name of Political Prisoner:      Mariano Umbrero
Age:                  63
Civil Status:            Married with children
Place of Detention:          Building 11, New Bilibid Prison (NBP), Muntinlupa City
Prison Number:        N204P-2023

Brief Description of the Situation

Mariano Umbrero, a political prisoner and currently serving his sentence at the New Bilibid Prison-NBP (national penitentiary) is in extremely critical state due to diagnosed lung cancer.

Based on his clinical abstract after a medical check-up conducted at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) dated January 31, 2011, Umbrero acquired Non-Small Cell Carcinoma Stage II B. Some few weeks back, Umbrero complained of difficulty in breathing and had a sudden episode of intense epigastric pain which was severe enough to warrant admission in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of NBP hospital. Aside from the said medical findings, Umbrero is also suffering from multiple organ problems that include his heart and liver.