No basis yet for bilateral ceasefire — NDFP

NDFP Media Office
Press release
November 10, 2016

“The GRP has not provided us with real incentives to work for a more stable ceasefire agreement.” This was National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) peace panel member Benito Tiamzon’s reaction to belie repeated claims by the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) that both parties are in ongoing talks to forge a bilateral ceasefire agreement by the end of this month or early December.

Unilateral ceasefires have been in place since the first round of the peace talks ended in the last week of August, with both parties agreeing to sign a “single unified bilateral ceasefire agreement” in sixty days, or by October 26. The date passed, however, with no bilateral ceasefire agreement worked out. The unilateral ceasefires remain valid in the absence of a notice of
termination by either side.

Tiamzon, however, charged that continuing military operations (and numerous violations committed by GRP forces, particularly its military, police and paramilitary forces) “are making the situation on the ground untenable and endangering even the fragile unilateral ceasefires currently in place.” He slammed the AFP and PNP for conducting offensive military and police operations in the
guise of “peace and development” operations and even the anti-drug
campaign.

Tiamzon cited figures from human rights watchdog Karapatan that there were 16 cases of political killings and 16 frustrated extrajudicial killings from July to September. There are also more than 13,000 victims of forced evacuations, mostly farmers and national minorities in areas targeted by AFP military operations. These include large-scale mining areas where AFP paramilitary
forces abound.

Political activists are still being slapped with trumped-up criminal cases, he said, citing the case of Rural Missionaries of the Philippines Southern Mindanao coordinator Amelia Pond who was
arrested on murder charges last August, and five farmers from San Jose del Monte, Bulacan fighting landgrabbing who were nabbed on drug charges last October.

Tiamzon also decried that aside from the 21 NDFP consultants and staff granted conditional bail last August, not a single political prisoner has been released through the peace process. “This is despite continuing pronouncements from the GRP that it would comply with its commitments in accordance with the Oslo Joint Statements of June 15, August 26 and October 9, 2016 to
release the political prisoners,” said Tiamzon.

There are more than 400 political prisoners still languishing in various detention facilities nationwide, including three NDFP consultants incarcerated at the New Bilibid Prisons.

These are all serving as disincentives for us to work for a more stable ceasefire and accelerate the pace of the peace negotiations, he said.

Tiamzon issued his clarifications after the Philippine Information Agency released yesterday a news item quoting GRP panel chair Silvestre Bello III that both parties are “talking to have the
final bilateral ceasefire document (signed) either by end of November or first week of December.”

Such news reports have come out persistently this week despite a denial issued by NDFP peace panel chair Fidel Agcaoili in an interview by a regional online daily last Monday. In that interview, Agcaoili complained that the GRP had not even informed the NDFP of any bilateral ceasefire talks whether “through formal writing or even a phone call. The GRP seems to be negotiating with itself,” he said. ***

National Democratic Front of the Philippines Negotiating Panel
Email: [email protected]
Tel. + 31 30 2310431

Militant Greetings to the National Democratic Front of the Philippines on the 43rd Anniversary of its Founding

We, foully detained National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) peace consultants and other political prisoners in Camp Bagong Diwa and in other detention areas throughout the country, send our militant greetings to the NDFP on the 43rd anniversry of its founding.

The NDFP, a solid and deep alliance of 18 national democratic revolutionary organizations with millions in total membership throughout the country and abroad, has consistently been growing and gaining significant inroads through the wide swath of struggles these patriotic and progressive people’s organizations have been waging, in the interest of the mass of the Filipino people, in the country and abroad.

The NDFP has been carrying on revolutionary struggles of the Filipino people and its various sectors in the country and abroad. Its revolutionary activities have been ranging from arousing, educating, and organizing the masses; waging of mass struggles for agrarian reform, production, health care, environmental protection; waging of revolutionary armed struggle; and building local organs of political power. It has also been promoting extra-parliamentary struggles, and forging various levels of unities and cooperation with other revolutionary, patriotic and other allied forces in the country.

It has also been actively supporting people’s wars and other struggles of fraternal people’s organizations in other countries, joining a number of international organizations, leagues and associations of peoples, and participating in international people’s fora, tribunals and other progressive people’s activities abroad.

The NDFP has, since the downfall of the outright fascist regime of Ferdinand Marcos, also been engaged in peace talks with successive post-martial law regimes.

Just as it had been doing with earlier post-martial law regimes, the NDFP has consistently been seeking peace talks with the current — even if outgoing — ruling regime of Benigno S. Aquino III.

It has, however, been under the present reactionary puppet regime of Benigno S. Aquino III, where practically nothing has been achieved in the peace process. Nor has the latter shown any real interest in the peace process with the NDFP.

Since the downfall of the outright Martial Law regime, it has also been under the present regime where the biggest number of NDFP peace consultants and other political prisoners have been foully hurled into and viciously kept in jail on the basis of trumped-up charges — all, in violation of standing peace agreements, as well as of local and international protocols and laws. Despite the clear, documented existence of more than 500 NDFP-related political prisoners at present, the ruling reactionary regime of Benigno S. Aquino III has even kept on denying the existence of political prisoners.

Since Day One of its rule up to the present eve of its exit and replacement, the current reactionary puppet regime of Benigno S. Aquino III has only shown that it knows nothing and has done nothing, but to kowtow to the interests of its U.S. imperialist master and the interests of the big compradors, big feudal lords and big bureaucrat capitalists.

Worse, it has conditioned the committing of outright fascist violence against hungry, exploited and oppressed people asking for their right to land, food and protection from violence.

The massacre committed in 2004 against peasants and their supporters demanding agrarian reform in the Hacienda Luisita of Benigno S. Aquino III’s clan has recently been followed by the firing of bullets, beatings, arrests, harrasments, hurling into jail and other gross acts of violence — against other hungry, exploited and oppressed masses — committed under the reign of Benigno S. Aquino III.

Most recent among these have been the September 2015 and onward killings and other acts of fascism against the lumad and their communities, their educators and the shutting down of their schools. They have instigated forced evacuations and further acts of fascism against lumad refugees seeking protection in the Haran compound of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) in Davao del Norte; the November 2015 total burning down of the lumad Alternative Learning Center for Livelihood and Development (ALCADEV) and harassment of surrounding lumad communities in Tandag City; and the April 1, 2016 and onward killings and other acts of fascism against hungry peasants merely asking for rice and seeking protection from violence in the Methodist compound in Kidapawan City, North Cotabato.

Even as it relies mainly on the people’s war — waged by the New People’s Army and related NDFP forces — for as long as such fascist acts will only continue unabated and even be heightened further, and for as long as the other age-old basic problems of the people continue to be ignored and unresolved, and for as long as the people’s demands for substantive solutions are met only with deaf ears and violence from the reactionary ruling state and regimes, still the NDFP remains always open to peace talks with the other side. This, for as long as the other side would also be open to peace efforts.

Aside from its many crimes against the people — including the aforementioned grave acts of violence against the displaced lumad and hungry peasants — because of the lack of intent and little time left for it to change, the outgoing regime of Benigno S. Aquino III is already a dead duck.

On its 43rd anniversary, the NDFP celebrates the all-rounded victories of the people’s war and the continuing defeat of the U.S. and its local puppet regime’s Oplan Bayanihan and the latter’s arrogant objective of defeating and marginalizing the NPA within a few years.

At the same time, the NDFP always remain open to peace talks and hopeful for the progress of such, and is thus always willing to sit at the negotiating table with its opposite at the helm of the ruling state — for as long as the latter is also truly open to it and serious enough about it.

The NDFP looks forward to more victories for the people at present and in the future!

Long live the NDFP and its allied organizations!
Victory to the causes and struggles of the NDFP and the Filipino people!

National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) peace consultants
Adelberto Silva
Alan Jazmines
Ernesto Lorenzo
Loida Magpatoc
Ruben Saluta
Tirso Alcantara
and other political prisoners in Camp Bagong Diwa.

Ka Nestor Parangal

Sa mahal na kabiyak na si Remedios, mga anak at iba pang kapamilya, kaibigan, nakabalikat sa trabaho, sa mga simulain at pagkilos para sa mga kapwa magbubukid, mga kababayan at iba pang kasamahan sa pakikibaka ni Ka Nestor Villanueva, kaming mga nakasama rin niya sa pagkilos at nabisita rin na mga bilanggong pulitikal dito sa Camp Bagong Diwa ay lubos na nakikiramay sa kanyang pagyao sa edad na 58 taong-gulang, nitong Pebrero 27, dulot ng paglala ng kanyang sakit na TB.

Mula pa sa kanyang pagkabata ay masigasig na siyang tumutulong sa pagmumulat at pag-oorganisa ng mga kapwa kabataan sa baryo, sa San Antonio, Kalayaan, Laguna, at nang nasa edad na ay sumapi na sa komite ng mga magbubukid sa lokalidad.

Noong dekada 1980 ay naging buong-panahong mandirigma at lider siya ng Bagong Hukbong Bayan sa erya ng Bundok Banahaw sa Laguna at sa Hilagang Quezon.

Lumala ang sakit niyang TB, pero di ito nagpatigil sa kanyang masigasig na pagkilos at noong 1986, naobliga siyang bumalik sa lokalidad upang doon patuloy na kumilos.

Noong 1986, kasama siya sa pagtatatag ng distritong alyansa ng mga organisasyon ng mga magbubukid sa Laguna, ang Peasant Alliance of Laguna (PALAG).

Makaraan ang mga 10 taong pagkilos niya roon, nang tumutok sa lugar nila ang berdugong si Gen. Jovito Palparan noong 1997 at pinag-iinitan noon nitong berdugo si Ka Nestor, lumipat siya at ang kanyang pamilya sa Hacienda Yulo, kung saan naman siya tumutok sa patuloy na pagkilos. Doon, masigasig na tumulong siya sa pag-oorganisa at pagpapalakas pa ng Samahan ng mga Magsasakang Nagkakaisa – Buntog (SAMANA – Buntog) na sumaklaw sa Buntog, Balagbag-Araw, Matang.Tubig at iba pang kalapit na sityo sa Canlubang, Calamba, at Baranggay Kasili, Cabuyao, Laguna — na kalakha’y saklaw ng Hacienda Yulo. Mahigit 300 pamilyang magbubukid ang kaagad nasaklaw sa pag-oorganisa nito.

Nakapa-ilalim ang SAMANA – Buntog sa Pagkakaisa’t Ugnayan ng mga Magbubukid sa Laguna (PUMALAG) na nakapaloob naman sa Katipunan ng mga Samahang Magbubukid sa Timog-Katagalugan (KASAMA-TK). Hanggang sa pagyao niya, si Ka Nestor ang tagapangulo ng KASAMA-TK.

Ikinatuwa naming mga bilanggong pulitikal ang pagdalaw niya sa amin noong 2014.

Saanman siya kumilos at nag-organisa, mataas ang respeto sa kanya ng mga kapwa magsasaka at iba pang mamamayan. Hanggang sa huling sandali ng kanyang buhay, naging tapat siya sa rebolusyonaryong adhikain, masigasig at walang-tigil sa pag-oorganisa at pakikibaka para sa mga kauring magbubukid at iba pang mamamayan.

Pulang saludo namin kay Ka Nestor!

Ang kanyang rebolusyunaryong diwa at mga ibinunga ng kanyang paglilingkod sa mga kauri at sa mamamayan ay nakatanim sa aming mga isip at puso!

Mga bilanggong pulitikal sa Camp Bagong Diwa,

Adelberto Silva
Alan Jazmines
Alberto Macasinag
Alex Arias
Alex Birondo
Armand Matres
Cesar Balmaceda
Dennis Ortiz
Diony Borre
Eddie Cruz
Edward Lanzanas
Eliseo Lopez
Elmer Torres
Ernesto Lorenzo
Evelyn Legaspi
Gemma Carag
George Bruce
Hermogenes Reyes, Jr.
Isidro de Lima
Jake Calayag
Jared Morales
Jesus Abetria, Jr.
Joel Enano
Jose Nuyda
Joseph Cuevas
Jovy Ortiz
Joyce Latayan
Ma. Loida Magpatoc
Ma. Miradel Torres
Marissa Espedido
Miguela Pinero
Modesto Araza
Pastora Latagan
Pedro Calimita
Presentacion Estrada-Saluta
Rex Villaflor
Rhea Pareja
Rommel Nuñez
Ruben Rupido
Ruben Saluta
Rene Nuyda
Senon Sambola
Sharon Cabusao
Tirso Alcantara
Voltaire Guray
Winona Oñate-Birondo

On the 30th Anniversary of the 1986 EDSA People Power Uprising : Continuing Fight for Freedom, Justice, Social Causes, Peace and against Continuing Fascism

The 30th anniversary of the February 25, 1986 EDSA people power uprising against the Marcos outright fascist dictatorship takes place, on the one hand, in the midst of the continuing advance of the people’s struggles and, on the other hand, in the face of increasing blatant — as well as disguised — fascism. This, under the prevailing neocolonial socio-economic-political system that serves principally the richest and most powerful in the country and their imperialist masters.

Out-and-out fascist rule has been dismantled but in many ways, much of the same oppressive and exploitative system has remained intact and continues to intensify — buttressed by fascistic measures that are veiled by pseudo-democratic rhetoric.

Just yesterday, fascist military and paramilitary forces under the ruling regime sought to burn down the United Church of Christ of the Philippines’ Haran Compound in Davao City, where hundreds of Lumad refugees from fascist attacks in their communities have long been sheltered since the massive driving away of Lumad people from their ancestral lands. Five Lumad refugees, including two children were injured in the conflagration. This latest act of fascism against the Lumad has followed the series of burning down of Lumad schools, cooperatives, homes and entire communities, the vicious hunting down and killing of Lumad leaders and educators, and other fascist acts against the Lumad and other people insistent on fighting for their rights and the rights of others like them.
Among those who have also been continuing to suffer fascism under present pseudo-democratic facade are hundreds of political prisoners. The present regime of Benigno S. Aquino III, inheritor of the post-EDSA People Power regime of his mother, Cory Aquino, keeps on denying that there are political prisoners in the country. Yet, there are presently more than 500 of us, individually documented political prisoners in the country — about twice the number the present regime has inherited from the earlier regime of Gloria Arroyo. And our numbers have been increasing, instead of decreasing.

It is because of our continuing fight for freedom, for justice, for social causes (especially in the interest of the poor, the deprived and the oppressed), for peace and against continuing fascism, that we have become victims of political repression. The objective of those in power is to suppress us and separate us from the oppressed and exploited masses by keeping us in heavily guarded stockades and behind iron bars.

We, political prisoners, continue to suffer gross violations of justice and human rights. We suffer arbitrary and illegal arrests, trumped-up charges, hardly moving course of justice, poor and repressive prison conditions, and the ruling state and regime’s indifference to all these.

Those of us, who have also gone through imprisonment, torture and other gross violations of justice and human rights during the Marcos martial rule have won court cases, but have not actually attained justice against the Marcoses, for the fascist crimes committed against us.

The Marcoses have, in the meantime, maintained their provincial political bases, have repositioned themselves in various high government positions, including the Senate, and have continued to maintain much of their plundered wealth, especially those kept abroad. Funded by a massive campaign kitty from his parents’ plundered wealth, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. — the son, and designated successor of the late open fascist dictator — aspires to be just a heartbeat away from the dominant power held then by his father. There is urgent need to keep the Marcoses from again holding the highest reins of power and reinstituting out-and-out fascism.
In the face of all these, the people’s fight for freedom, for justice, for social causes (especially in the interest of the poor, the exploited and the oppressed), for peace and against continuing fascism continues to expand and gain ground.

We, who remain in chains and behind prison bars, vow to keep up the fight to the utmost in any way we can … and more so as soon as we regain freedom.

National Democratic Front of the Philippines peace consultants

Adelberto Silva
Alan Jazmines
Ernesto Lorenzo
Loida Magpatoc
Ruben Saluta
Tirso Alcantara

and other political prisoners detained in Camp Bagong Diwa February 25, 2016

Our 10 Days of Fasting/Hunger Strike Before and During the Visit of Pope Francis I to Our Country

Starting five days before the January 15 arrival of Pope Francis I in our country, we, political prisoners in Camp Bagong Diwa, went on fasting/hunger strike. And during the five days of his actual visit to our country bringing along “mercy and compassion”, we proceeded to go on hunger strike.

All such act of self-sacrifice, to make loud our calls for our freedom, for justice, for real solutions to social ills, for serious efforts towards peace in our country.

These calls emphasize our dire situation as political prisoners — imprisoned because of our struggles for political and social changes in the interest of the people; subjected to severe repressions, reprisals, abuses, deprivations, and other fascist acts by state and jail authorities; made to suffer and one of the most rotten and slowest crawl of justice in the world, and frustrated with the long lack of progress in the peace process.

We went through such act, with a significantly highly raised level of unity of forces, will to fight and resistance to repressions, and were able to proceed steadfast and advance in our act of self-sacrifice for our calls. This, in the face of foul and fascist reactions to our act, and in the face of violations of our rights to the extent of disregarding international protocols on respect for human rights, the United Nation’s norms on the treatment of prisoners, as well as the prevailing state’s own laws — particularly here at the Special Intensive Care Area1(SICA1) Jail in Camp Bagong Diwa.

From the very start, our doctors were totally barred from visiting us and checking on our medical conditions. There were instances, when even our lawyers and some of our loved ones were also barred. Many, many visitors from human rights organizations, and many more other supporters were also cruelly barred.

Worse, prison authorities here at the SICA1 Jail, even cooked up and unleased malicious and vicious schemes to isolate us, political prisoners, and induce, from other inmates under the hands of leaders of a lumpen prison gang and of those accused by the government as terrorists, intensified antagonisms and orchestrated threats of violence against us. This, by also barring the visitors of all other inmates and casting the blame for such on the “foolish” (“kalokohan”) hunger strike of political prisoners.

This, even as, among their ranks, we have many friends and sympathizers, whom we have been in touch with and even wrote to about the noble objectives of our act, in order to gain their unity with us, even as they are being prevented from doing so by threats against them.

We also have taken, and continue to take, appropriate steps direct to the public and also via the courts and other institutions, in effort to put in place and counter such foul and fascist acts of the jail authorities against our loved ones, and against others caring about and supporting us.

In the midst of all these, we have remained solid and in peace, and have maintained our steadfastness in our act, well up to its successful conclusion and its aftermath.

With the help of those outside with means and opportunities at linking with the visiting Pope, with those in sympathy with us and supporting us in various ways in our struggles, with the general public, and with other relevant forces, we are grateful that our letters and calls have reached those concerned and have been raised loud enough to be amplified further, especially our calls for the return of our lost freedom, for the redress of the injustices committed against us and the people we have been struggling and imprisoned for, and for serious efforts towards peace.

In the meantime, for as long as we remain under threats of reprisals, foul deeds and violence against us in jail, we are determined to keep raising the issues we have been raising–our call for freedom, justice, for real solutions to social ills, for serious efforts towards peace in this country.

Political prisoners at the SICA1 Jail,
Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City
(31 January 2015)

Tirso Alcantara
Emeterio Antalan
Cesar Balmaceda
Leopoldo Caloza
Alan Jazmines
Jesus Abetria Jr.
Modesto Araza
Alex Arias
Eddie Cruz
Philip Enteria
Voltaire Guray
Fidel Holanda
Edward Lanzanas
Rolando Laylo
Eliseo Lopez
Alberto Macasinag
Jared Morales
Denis Ortiz
Hermogenes Reyes Jr.
Felicardo Salamat
Aristides Sarmiento
Cirilo Verdan
Elmer Torres

Political Prisoners in Camp Bagong Diwa on Fasting and Hunger Strike after death of NDFP Peace Consultant and Political Prisoner Ka Eddik Serrano

We, political prisoners in Camp Bagong Diwa, join other political prisoners across the country in going on fasting and hunger strike starting with the southward funeral march today, January 12, until the burial in January 17 of the body of deceased NDFP Peace Consultant and staunch fighter for the rights of indigenous peoples, peasants and other exploited and oppressed people, foully arrested, charged as another person, suffered a snail-paced course of justice and held as political prisoner for more than 11 years — Ka Eddik Serrano.

Such acts of self-sacrifice is in protest against the grave injustice that Ka Eddik endured for 11 years, eroded his health and caused his death.

We join in the protest of other political prisoners in the country, and categorically state that successive reactionary regimes — up to the current Benigno S. Aquino III regime — are responsible for Ka Eddik’s death.

Words fail us in expressing the depth of our collective rage at the gross injustice and violations of human rights, and of peace agreements that we political prisoners have long been suffering.

Justice for Ka Eddik and all victims of injustice!
Adelberto Silva Alan Jazmines
Ernesto Lorenzo Loida Magpatoc
Ruben Saluta Tirso Alcantara
and other political prisoners in Camp Bagong Diwa

THE BSAQUINO EFFIGY ON INTL HR DAY 2015

Free All Political Prisoners! Persist in the Struggle for Justice, Human Rights, Social Progress, Peace and Freedom!

(Statement of NDFP Peace Consultants and Other Political Prisoners Detained in Camp Bagong Diwa on the International Day of Solidarity for Political Prisoners, December 3, 2015)

On the occason of the International Day of Solidarity for Political Prisoners, we, National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) peace consultants and other political prisoners detained in Camp Bagong Diwa, express our warmest solidarity with all political prisoners in the country and the world, with whom we raise high our urgent calls for justice, human rights, political and socio-economic reforms, peace and freedom.

We thank the International League of Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS) for its significant role in designating this particular day of solidarity for political prisoners of all nations, expressing concern for the dire conditions of political prisoners, and vigorously supporting the struggle of political prisoners.

Here in the Philippines, despite the denial of the ruling regime that there are political prisoners in the country, the contrary fact is that there are more than 500 Filipino political prisoners, who have long been suffering inhumane and fascist conditions; trumped-up criminalized charges to hide the political nature of our struggles; very slow and hardly moving crawl of justice; and overly prolonged foul and unjust detention.

Unjust imprisonment, fascist repression and other antagonistic acts have not at all subdued and silenced us, political prisoners. On the contrary, such have even pushed us to further press our calls and struggles, resist repressive treatment, survive our sufferings, and win victories — within as well as beyond prison bars.

A big number — more than 17 — of us, political prisoners at present, are also NDFP peace consultants and staff workers, who, according to a long-standing Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) between the NDFP and the ruling state, are supposed to be protected from surveillance, arrest, imprisonment, torture and other human rights violations, trumped-up court charges, and other acts that would deter our effective participation and work in the peace process.

Other standing peace agreements between the NDFP and the ruling state, such as the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL), are supposed to protect the people, including activists, fighters for change, and political prisoners from violations of their human rights.

Yet reactionary ruling regimes, in succession, have grossly been violating those agreements and, up to the present regime, have been refusing to rectify their gross violations of those agreements, and release the foully detained NDFP Peace Consultants and other political prisoners in the country.

We, detained NDFP Peace Consultants and other political prisoners, who have long been made to suffer as victims of violations of our rights and those of the people, reiterate our still-urgent, long-standing demand for the respect of our rights and freedom, and those of our suffering exploited and oppressed people, including our human rights, our rights against repression and suppression, and our rights and freedom to pursue long-sought for socio-economic and political changes for the better, and relatedly for a just and lasting peace, in the interest of the mass of our people and society.

NDFP Peace Consultants
NDFP Consultants in Camp Bagong Diwa:

Adelberto Silva
Alan Jazmines
Ernesto Lorenzo
Eduardo Serrano
Tirso Alcantara
Ruben Saluta
Loida Magpatoc
and other political prisoners detained in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City

AlDub Political Prisoners

There are now a number of AlDub political prisoners here at Camp Bagong Diwa. Among them are the AlDub couples, Ruben Saluta / Precy Estrada, Alex Birondo / Winona Oñate, and Adel Silva / Sharon Cabusao, who have been among those foully transferred last September and October from Philippine National Police detention in Camp Crame, where they were detained in the same jail, to Bureau of Jail Management and Penology detention here in Camp Bagong Diwa, where they are now detained in separate jails.

Actually, all political prisoners in the country are actually also AlDub political prisoners — as they have been confined in order to be separated from the mass of the people, especially the oppressed and exploited, to whom they have devoted to the fullest their hearts, their work and the whole of their lives. As the ruling reactionary regime continues to do this, it acts as the repressive “Lola ni Dora” of the AlDub political prisoners and the oppressed and exploited masses.

Since their transfer here to Camp Bagong Diwa last September and October, the political prisoner couples have now been detained in separate jails here at Camp Bagong Diwa, with male political prisoners confined at the Special Intensive Care Area Jail, and female political prisoners confined at the Female Dormitory – Taguig City Jail.

Despite the new barrier of distance and walls, however, the now cruelly separately confined political prisoner couples have still been able to create a new way of communicating with each other across the quarter-of-a-kilometer distance between their separate jails. This, aside from occasionally being able to exchange love letters, with their relatives and other common visitors providing them free inter-jail mail courier service.

This new way of the separated political prisoner couples’ being able to communicate with each other takes place when they are allowed to go up for exercise at their respective jails’ rooftops, where they can at least still catch glimpses of each other — across the distance — and send hand-language, including “pabebe” waves, “big heart” messages and other hand-language messages to each other, AlDub-style.

Those AlDub-style messages are actually enjoyed not only by the AlDub couples, but also by all the other political prisoners at the Taguig City Jail and the Special Intensive Care Area Jail.

A few days ago, however, a barrier of GI sheets were mounted — ala “Victor plywoods” — at the rooftop of the Taguig City Jail, so that the AlDub political prisoners in the two jails can no longer catch glimpses of each other and send AlDub messages to each other in the open as freely as before.

The physically separated political prisoners have, however, been managing to once in a while still be able to catch glimpses from each other through a gap in the “Victor plywoods” barrier, and still be able to send — even if now rarer — AlDub messages to each other.

Creating ways of maintaining ties and communicating with each other, even across jails and despite “Victor plywoods” barriers, depicts how political prisoners will not let their ranks, their relations, their rights, and their determined fight for social advocacies and the interest of the mass of exploited and oppressed mass of the people — they have been put in jail for — be defeated.
These AlDub political prisoners and all other political prisoners should not only be allowed to freely communicate with each other. As the continuing imprisonment of political prisoners is reactionary, unjust and repressive, and further serves as a barrier to peace processes, they should all be released. “Sa tamang panahon” (“the right time”) of their release is now.

Alan Jazmines
National Democratic Front of the Philippines peace consultant
detained at the Special Intensive Care Area Jail,
Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City
December 3, 2015

Letter from a Victim of Trumped-up Criminal Charges

I am very much relieved that two regional trial judges have recently finally acquitted me of trumped-up criminal charges filed against me in their courts by state military forces and prosecutors.

This November 26, a Quezon City Regional Trial Court (QC RTC) Judge Editha Mina-Aguba, finally acquitted me of charges of multiple murder and frustrated murder, falsely and spuriously filed against a certain “Rogelio Villanueva”.

Earlier (a month ago), another QC RTC Judge Marilou Runes-Tamang, ruled that I am not the “Rogelio Villanueva” that reactionary military forces and prosecutors also charged with multiple murder in another trumped-up case.

While I, my human rights lawyers (from the Public Interest Law Center), other human rights advocates, my family, friends, and other sympathizers and supporters, have long suffered those false and malicious charges, that were filed against me by reactionary military forces and prosecutors, and that have taken seven painful years before being demolished, we are grateful to the two judges for finally recognizing the utter falsity of those charges, and boldly upholding my innocence.

We are also grateful that another judge have also dismissed in the past a trumped-up charge against me. We hope that the same should happen in regard to two remaining trumped-up charges against me, and also in regard to similar trumped-up charges against hundreds of other political prisoners being unjustly detained in this country.

In my case, I have already suffered eleven years of unjust and cruel detention as a political prisoner, and still continue to suffer such, given the efforts of the reactionary state forces to supress militant advocates of and fighters for the cause of the poor and oppressed and the mass of the people in our country.

There are many — to date, more than five hundred — other political prisoners in this country who have suffered and continue to suffer the same or even more injustice, cruelties and violations of their freedom and human rights.

We, political prisoners, continue to call the attention of fair-minded judges and many others of the like, including all advocates and fighters in the interest of the people, especially the down-trodden, to continue in the work and fight for respect of human rights and freedom for political prisoners and the mass of our oppressed and exploited people.

Resolutely, in the service of the people,

Eduardo Serrano
Political prisoner
Special Intensive Care Area 1
Camp Bagong Diwa,
Bicutan, Taguig City
November 28, 2015

Political prisoners hail ‪#‎ManiLakbayan2015‬

We, political prisoners, hail the marchers, and other participants and supporters — along the way, and even in other far away places — of the October 2015 Manilakbayan.

This mass protest activity has travelled all the way from the farthest part of Mindanao in the south to the national capital, to decry and bring to the attention of the people all over the country the extremely cruel fascism that has been victimizing the indigenous Lumad and other exploited and oppressed people in the country.

It is a relentless fascism that has been going on and victimizing the mass of the people in the country under democratic pretenses.

The indigenous Lumad, have been suffering merciless killings, especially of their leaders and even of their educators, as in the merciless killing of the Alternative Learning Center for Agricultural and Livelihood Development (ALCADEV) Executive Director Emerito Samarca.

Fascist military and paramilitary atrocities have followed the Lumad and their supporters even to the relief centers run by church organizations, that have been providing them with sanctuary and humanitarian aid.
Like the oppressed Lumad, we, political prisoners, have also long been subjected to fascist treatment. Despite the denials of the ruling regime, there are now more than 700 political prisoners at present, practically all victims of illegal arrest and detention, torture, criminalization of political cases, trumped-up cases that include planting of false evidences and use of paid witnesses, and other fascist acts of violence and restrictions in prison.

We appreciate very much that the October 2015 Manilakbayan is also taking up the issue of fascist political detention and demanding freedom, justice and respect of human rights for all political prisoners. We appreciate a lot Manilakbayan’s including us in the route of their march, and staging rallies at the gates of camps where we are imprisoned.

Despite the indifferent attitude of the ruling regime to calls and movements for freedom, justice and respect of human rights, that the Manilakbayan is marching for and demanding from the ruling regime and system, we hope that all their efforts and all similar efforts will bear fruit for the benefit of the mass of our exploited and oppressed people.

Political prisoners in Camp Bagong Diwa
Adelberto Silva
Alan Jazmines
Alberto Macasinag
Alex Arias
Alex Birondo
Antonio Satumba
Aristides Sarmiento
Cesar Balmaceda
Dennis Ortiz
Diony Borre
Eddie Cruz
Eduardo Serrano
Edward Lanzanas
Eliseo Lopez
Elmer Torres
Ernesto Lorenzo
Evelyn Legaspi
Felicardo Salamat
Fidel Holanda
Gemma Carag
Gloria Pitargue-Almonte
Hermogenes Reyes Jr.
Isidro de Lima
Jared Morales
Jesus Abetria Jr.
Joseph Cuevas
Ma. Miradel Torres
Ma. Loida Magpatoc
Marissa Espedido
Miguela Piñero
Modesto Araza
Pastora Latagan
Pedro Calimita
Philip Enteria
Presentacion Estrada-Saluta
Ruben Rupido
Ruben Saluta
Rene Nuyda Jr.
Rhea Pareja
Sharon Cabusao
Tirso Alcantara
Voltaire Guray
Winona Oñate-Birondo