Political Prisoners Against Bongbong and Revival of Martial Law

We, political prisoners, have been foully thrown into jail on trumped-up charges by various post-Martial Law ruling regimes. The biggest bulk (more than 500 at present… and counting) of post-Martial Law political prisoners are now imprisoned under the present ruling regime of Benigno S. Aquino III.

We, political prisoners, are all victims of continuing gross violations of freedom, justice, and other human and legal rights.

This, even as the post-Martial Law regimes, up to the outgoing Benigno S. Aquino III regime, keep denying the very fact of our existence.

Those who tell the truth, cry out loud that there there still are political prisoners — in fact, several hundreds of us, hidden in various jails in the country, including here in Camp Bagong Diwa….

In a 2004 peace talks agreement with the National Domocratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), the Gloria Macapagal Arroyo government had agreed to release from its prisons all 350 political prisoners individually identified by the NDFP, as unduly arrested and detained in violation of their human, political, and legal rights, including the landmark Hernandez Doctrine. But the GMA government soon after launched a vicious All-Out War and did not at all implement the agreement. Those 350 political prisoners were, instead, passed on to the BSA III regime, that continued the policy and increased our numbers.

With the threat that the evils of Martial Law history might repeat itself — if Bongbong Marcos (the deceased fascist dictator’s heir) would be able to “win” a position that would be only a heartbeat away from the country’s presidency — we are wary of an even bigger problem of the foul throwing into jails of even more prisoners of conscience; of the jailing, too, of large numbers from the opposition and other political parties, of elements in the mass media, and of many others; of more blatant torture that no longer need to be hidden; of trial by military or militarized courts under a barefaced Martial Law regime with no term limits; and of other gross human rights violations against fighters for socio-economic-political changes in the country, and even against defenders of human rights… as what happened when Marcoses ruled with bare-faced Martial Law for 14 years.

Not long after their U.S. imperialist masters arranged the Marcoses’ sanctuary in Hawaii to escape the wrath of the EDSA People’s Power Uprising against the Marcoses’ Martial Law, Imelda, the conjugal partner in their fascist reign and other heirs of the fascist dictator returned to the Philippines, and since then have been retaking and restashing the bulk of their more than tens of billions of pesos worth of plundered wealth, and investing money and time to retaking key government positions (including the governorship and congressional representation of their home province, and a Senate seat). They have, since their return, been aiming for more power positions… up to their return to Malacanang and the reimposition of more outright fascism.

We, political prisoners at Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City, express our fullest solidarity with the Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses to Malacanang (CARMMA) and organize our ranks and our advocates and supporters on this issue.

The fight for true democracy and other basic interests of the people will, however, require much more than preventing the Marcoses from reoccupying Malacañang, reimposing outright fascist rule and using such to further ravage the country and its people. It is a continuing struggle in the country, that we, political prisoners, and other advocates of and fighters for freedom, justice, human rights, and socio-economic-political changes, are determined to keep pressing on, despite many twists-and-turns, hardships and sacrifices….
NDFP peace consultants

Adelberto Silva

Alan Jazmines

Ernesto Lorenzo

Loida magpatoc

Ruben Saluta

Tirso Alcantara

and other political prisoners
in Camp Bagong Diwa, Bicutan, Taguig City
(March 28, 2016)