Health Action for Human Rights stands in solidarity with 100 political prisoners in Negros province on their one-day hunger strike timed on the third State of the Nation Address of Pres. Marcos Jr . HAHR is a national non-governmental organization of doctors, nurses, and other health professionals, health workers, students and other human rights advocates.
The hunger strike is significant to demand the immediate release on recognizance of Ernesto Jude Rimando, Jr., a political prisoner critically ill with stage 4 liver cancer and other complications. Rimando’s health condition deteriorated because of difficulty and delay in accessing proper and sufficient medical facilities for his treatment. Rimando’s case calls attention to the humanitarian release of the sick and elderly political prisoners in various detention centers in the country. Aged between 70 to 79 years old , these political prisoners are Rosita Taboy, Evangeline Rapanut; and couples Frank Fernandez and Cleofe Lagtapon, Ruben and Presentacion Saluta, and Alberto and Virginia Villamor.
The Health Action for Human Rights considers political prisoners to be human beings who have to be cared for. Prison conditions in the Philippines are inhumane, especially for the sick and elderly political prisoners. The Philippines is the fourth most overcrowded correctional facility in the world with a 362 percent occupancy rate contributing to unsanitary and unhygienic conditions. Prisoners experience limited food supply with a daily P70 food allowance and P15 daily medicine allowance.2. The lack of food, water supply, poor ventilation and congestion cause scabies, upper respiratory tract infection, and aggravate heart, kidney and liver diseases. They need access to medical, laboratory and other health facilities.
Most political prisoners are labor and peasant organizers. The Health Action for Human Rights supports the call of political prisoners to stop the attacks against human rights defenders in Negros and elsewhere in the country. Political prisoners have been victims of trumped-up charges to suppress those who are critical of the regime, Instead of wielding the Anti-Terror Law, peace talks between the GRP-NDF should be resumed to resolve the socio-economic problems that beset the country.
