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.

PHILIPPINES: Torture of a 17-year-old boy at the Women and Children Desk at a police station — Asian Human Rights Commission

Photo by www.humanrights.asia

PHILIPPINES: Torture of a 17-year-old boy at the Women and Children Desk at a police station — Asian Human Rights Commission

ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION - URGENT APPEALS PROGRAMME
Urgent Appeal Case: AHRC-UAC-063-2011
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PHILIPPINES: Torture of a 17-year-old boy at the Women and Children Desk at a police station

ISSUES: Arbitrary arrest and detention; Child rights; Inhuman and degrading treatment; Torture; Victims assistance & protection
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Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that a 17-year-old boy was tortured on December 11, 2010 in the custody of the police. The victim, who revealed to his parents his ordeal only on February 26, 2011 due to trauma, was tortured at a police quarter and inside the Women and Children's Desk of the police.


CASE DETAILS:

On the evening of December 10, 2010, John Paul Nerio, (17 years old at the time of incident), was arrested after he was mistakenly accused of being involved in a fight at a bar. The policemen who arrested him, are attached to the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Kidapawan City, took him to their police quarter where he was tortured.

Concern about the enforced disappearance of a Human Rights Defender

Concern about the enforced disappearance of a Human Rights Defender

Thursday, 03 March 2011 07:55

Pattani Razeek. Photo source: http://www.humanrights.asia Dear Inspector General of Police, SRI LANKA: Disappearance of FORUM-ASIA Executive Committee Member Pattani Razeek - prime suspect has not been arrested Name of the Victim: Mr. Pattani Razeek of No. 70, Sameeragama, Kottantivu, Puttalam, Sri Lanka Alleged Perpetrators: Mr. Shabdeen Nowshadh Date of latest incident: 11 February, 2010 Place of incident: Polonnaruwa North Central Province. I would like to raise my serious concerns on the further information that I have received in the case of Mr. Pattani Razeek of No. 70, Sameeragama, Kottantivu, Puttalam. Mr. Razeek was a well known human rights defender in Sri Lanka and Asia. At the time of his alleged disappearance, he was the Managing Trustee of the Community Trust Fund (CTF) and was an Executive Committee Member of the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA). Mr. Razeek has been missing since he was apparently abducted on 11 February 2010 in the town of Polonnaruwa, North Central Province in Sri Lanka. He may have been the victim of an enforced disappearance. The state authorities have not shown any interest in either investigating or arresting the main suspect in the case despite credible evidence being provided by the relatives. It is believed that this failure is due to the influence of powerful politician in the area.

PAHRA Urgent Appeal: PICOP 6 key witness to 10 year enforced disappearance case under threat

I.    Background of the case

In October 14, 2000, six workers of the Paper Industries Corporation of the Philippines (PICOP) were forcibly disappeared at Barangay Sta. Maria, Trento, Agusan del Sur.

The 6 workers - Joseph Belar, Jovencio Lagare, Romualdo Orcullo, Diosdado Oliver, Artemio Ayala and Arnold Dangkiasan were at the entrance of a videoke bar when Corporal Rodrigo Billones from the 62nd Infantry Battalion, 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army herded the six kargador  (carrier) of logs to the military camp. A friend of the missing workers, Crispin Barot, was able to evade the abduction by concealing himself in the crowd. He saw the six workers being held at gunpoint from the peryahan (village carnival) and brought inside the army camp gate.

With the assistance of the Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearance (FIND), the relatives immediately inquired as to the whereabouts of the six workers from the authorities in the military camp. However, the said authorities denied custody of the disappeared workers. PICOP 6 relatives Artemio Ayala, Sr. and Macaria Lagare, recounted how they were prohibited from entering the military camp and were only allowed to go inside when they were accompanied by the mayor, vice-mayor and baranggay chairperson after six days.