At least 491 political prisoners from 50 jails nationwide ended their hunger strike Monday, frustrated that the Aquino administration “suppressed” their noise to be heard by Pope Francis during his five-day pastoral visit. Their leaders promised to pursue their cause through other channels.
At least 600 common crime violators in Davao Penal Colony and Batangas Provincial Jail joined the hunger strike in solidarity with the political prisoners.
They echoed the call to release political prisoners and the resumption of the peace talks between the government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines
“The Aquino government did not only suppress the “noise” the political prisoners made during the papal visit, specifically those at the Special Intensive Care Area-1 (SICA-1) at Camp BagongDiwa but also members of people’s organizations who wanted the Pope to see them and hear their collective cry for justice, against poverty and corruption,” according to Cristina Palabay, human rights group Karapatan secretary general.
Palabay said nuns belonging to the Sisters Association of Mindanao led by its executive secretary Noemi Degala were stopped and held by an hour by members of the Philippine National Police in Tanauan, Leyte.
They were on their way to Tacloban, where the welcome ceremonies for Pope Francis were held, she said.
“The nuns had official identification papers and travel passes. The police accused them of being members of the New People’s Army,” Palabay said.
She also said the political prisoners were also deprived of their rights to be visited by doctors, family, friends, relatives and lawyers during the hunger strike as authorities imposed a news blackout on their protest.
“Aquino muted the voices of the people. He is shameless and self-absorbed. He didn’t want the world to know the realities in the country, he made a speech all about himself and shamed our country before the world. His concern for his hair seemed more important than anything else in this country,” added Palabay, referring to the speech made by President Benigno Aquino III during the Pope’s courtesy call in Malacañang.
“It is deplorable how the government used the Pope’s safety and security as excuse. State forces blocked those who wanted the Pope to see the real situation of the country, including the nuns from Mindanao who were among the first responders who assisted the victims of Yolanda,” Palabay lamented.
She said the political prisoners’ hunger strike was the highlight of the “Free All Political Prisoners” campaign held during the papal visit to dramatize before the public the plight of political prisoners inside jails, and to call on Pope Francis to intercede for their immediate release.
Palabay said Karapatan, Selda, Hustisya, and Desaparecidos received hundreds of letters to Pope Francis from political prisoners, inmates who are common crime violators, families of the disappeared and other victims of human rights violations, all appealing for Pope Francis to stand with them in their quest for justice.
“We will seek other channels to reach the Pope as we continue our call to release all political prisoners and the resumption of the peace talks, and persevere in our fight for justice for victims of human rights violations,” Palabay said.