Remember Belen - #rememberML@40

“Naging biktima kami ng pangangamkam ng lupa ng mga malalaking asendero; biktima ng manipulasyon sa pautang sa bangko; sa pautang ng abono at pestisidyo; sa gilingan ng tubo pati na ang bilihan ng asukal na mas lalong tumingkad nang nabuoa ang NASUTRA (National Sugar Traiding Authority) – Belen

Belen


Source TFDP
Belen is a widow and a mother of two adopted daughters. Back in Negros Oriental, she used to teach home economics in the public elementary school.

Seated on top of her tarima (iron cot) inside the Philippine Contabulary/Integrated National Police jail of Camp Crame, she related her story.

Belen saw and felt how their economic status crumbled at the hands of the big landlords, in Negros. Her father belonged to a middle land owner class, one of the classes in the countryside that fall prey to the monopolistic practices of the big hacienderos.

Her fathers land was reduced from 75 hectares of sugarcane to several hectares of rice and coconut lands. The operations of the sugarcane land were ordered to stop by the monopoly of the big landlords and the land laid idle since then.

Belen’s relatively comfortable life did not blind her to the suffering of the sacada (sugarcane workers) who worked on her father’s farm. She and her husband convinced his old man to the increase the wages of his workers. The act displeased the other landlords that the old man was called to the local precinct for questioning. The pressure from the other landlords made Belen’s father cancel the wage increase but unknown to the others, he added a cavan of rice to his farm workers monthly wages.

Belen’s experience in the economic struggle was transformed into one that had a wider perspective – that of political struggle. In he process of helping the workers, she was caught by the military.

Belen was one of the seven women and seventeen men rounded up by elements of Task Force Makabansa in different parts of Metro Manila from February 26 to March 1, 1982. She was arrested with no warrant of arrest in a raid of a worker’s house in Novaliches. She told the military that she was just a visitor but that did not seem to be a good reason for the military to let her go.

She was made to undergo tactical interrogation at the Metrocom Intelligence Service Group (MISG) Conference Room, Camp Crame for the first 48 hours and later at the Transient Officers’ Quarters, Fort Bonifacio where she was detained with other female detainees. For 10 days, tactical interrogation continued while they were place incommunicado from relatives and friends.

It is not without anger that she recall her torture, both physical and mental. Her life was threatened and made a fair game with Russian roulette. Bullets were inserted in between her fingers and were squeezed tight by her interrogators. The threat of rape and of stripping was ever present. Military men, usually drunk, went in and out of her room and so sleep was not all possible. Tension, exhaustion and anger took its toll. Vomiting, diarrhea, and near-dehydration made Belen demand the service of a doctor. Only then did the interrogation cease.

Finding no remedies for what had been done to Belen her co-accused, a collective torture complaint was filed by them on July 1982 before the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. The following year, they filed a P6.5 million civil damage suit against Gen. Fabian Ver, Chief of Staff of the Philippine Armed Forces and several others for violation of detainees’ constitutional and human rights. Their lawyers Atty. Joker Arroyo and Rene Saguisag walked out with their families when the judge announced the dismissal of the case for “lack of merit”.

Source: “Filipino Women in Struggle” TFDP

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On the 40th Anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law, let us push for the ‘Compensation Act’ for all victims
of human rights violations of the Marcoses,
JOIN us in our pledge to remember, inform and inspire the youth with the truth and lessons that our nation learned from this dark period of our history.
I pledge to…
Never Again to Martial Law!
We remember, we inform, we inspire
Our youth with the truth and lessons of Martial Law.
#rememberML@40
and Invite people to…
1. Like and share the “Remember ML@40” FB page
2. Invite/recruit 40 or more others to like “Remember ML@40” FB page and ask them to recruit 40 more
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5. Participate in the “Online action day”
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TFDP assails judge for abrupt transfer of Cocoy Tulawie to Jolo, defying Supreme Court order

January 18,2012

Press Release  

“TFDP ASSAILS JUDGE FOR ABRUPT TRANSFER OF COCOY TULAWIE  TO JOLO, DEFYING SUPREME COURT ORDER”

Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP), assails Judge Betlee-Ian  Barraquias in ordering  the transfer of Cocoy Tulawie’s detention to Jolo in defiance of the Supreme Court order. It must be recalled that the Supreme Court third division issued a resolution dated 13 June 2011, dispositive portion states, “that continuing with the trial of the subject criminal cases in the RTC of Jolo, Sulu, can lead to miscarriage of justice”. The court was ordered to transfer the entire records of the case to the Regional Trial Court in Davao City.

The Judge’s action and whimsical is open defiance of the Supreme Court. He should be held accountable and should be charged with conduct unbecoming and for gross ignorance of the law. Cocoy Tulawie’s case only demonstrated how the Judiciary and Executive conspire with each other.

Cocoy Tulawie’s case is not a common crime. He is a human rights defender, who fought for human rights and freedom for the people of Sulu. He has remained committed in his conviction for human rights and democracy amongst the people whose human rights have been violated.

The United Nation recognizes the works of human rights defenders just like Cocoy Tulawie and being a member, the state and it’s agents should uphold the United Nation’s Declaration on Human Rights Defenders. His case must be heard impartially and he should be afforded with due process.

TFDP is calling on the Supreme Court to immediately intervene and investigate the action taken by Judge Barraquias and if found guilty he should be sanctioned in accordance with the law.


RITA M. MELECIO
Deputy Executive Director
Task Force Detainees of the Philippines
# 45 St. Mary St., Cubao, Quezon City
Contact: 09497215341

Illegal Arrest and Detention of 43 Health Workers an attack against Human Rights Defenders

First posted Monday, 08 February 2010 13:49 at www.tfdp.net

Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP), a mission partner of the Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines (AMRSP) strongly condemns the illegal arrest and detention of 43 health workers conducting a health seminar in a resort in Morong, Rizal last February 6, 2010 by the Military and Police.

The illegal arrest and detention and the malicious labeling/red-tagging are clear harassment directed against human rights defenders that are often committed in the country. Col. Aurelio Baladad justifies the arrest and detention by accusing the victims of alleged involvement to the Communist Party of the Philippines-New Peoples Army (CPP-NPA) and that they were allegedly making bombs.

Based from reports, the victims were having a seminar on First Responders Training sponsored by the Community Medicine Foundation, Inc. (COMMED) and Council for Health and Development (CHD) at Dr. Melecia Velmonte’s Farm, a conference and training facility in Morong, Rizal when the raid took place.

Those arrested are volunteers on health related rights which the government fails to address. This mass arrest and detention and labeling violate their civil political rights and their right to promote and protect right to health as part and parcel of their work as health workers. This incident further shows that human rights defenders in the country are at high risks of being politically attacked and in most cases killed because of the nature of their work.

Another violation of the right of the victims is the refusal of entry of the Commission of Human Rights (CHR) personnel and relatives by the military in Camp Capinpin to check on the conditions of the victims. Their right to due process and equal treatment under the law are also disregarded.

This incident is not an isolated case. TFDP has in fact documented cases of politically motivated illegal arrest and detention committed by the AFP and PNP against human rights defenders in the country and charging them with criminal cases and labeling them as enemies of the state. These human rights defenders have been languishing in jails and detention centers around the country.

A case in point is that of Archie Bathan, the anti-nuclear activist in Bataan who was arrested in May 2009 and charged with frustrated murder, illegal possession of explosives and firearms and being detained in Bataan Provincial Jail.

TFDP calls for the immediate release of the 43 health workers and human rights defenders. Frequent abuse of authority and human rights violations by the military and police need to be addressed and take into consideration immediately to prove governments’ sincerity in protecting the rights of the people against erring agents of the state.

Stop harassments of human rights defenders!

February 8, 2010
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