Political prisoners halt hunger strike after dialogue with gov't

Political detainees in the New Bilibid Prison have suspended indefinitely their 24-day hunger strike after a dialogue with the government officials, a human rights group said Sunday. In a statement, Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) said the hunger strike was suspended last Wednesday after a discussion between human rights groups and the government, facilitated by the Presidential Human Rights Committee and led by the Department of Justice (DOJ). The dialogue took place Tuesday. Several human rights and activists groups are lobbying for the release of over 300 political prisoners nationwide, or those imprisoned for cases such as rebellion, sedition, and government uprisings. [See related story, Bayan to Aquino: Have a heart, release all political prisoners] “The hunger strike has paved the way for government’s prompt action and we commend DOJ for immediately acting on our appeal. The political prisoners can now hope that they be given attention and their freedom be acted upon by the government," said TFDP deputy executive director Sister Crescencia Lucero, SFIC. Last Friday, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima also ordered the reconvening of the Presidential Committee on Bail, Recognizance, and Pardon (PCBREP) to start reviewing the release of political prisoners in the Philippines. TFDP hailed this move. “It was one of the concrete actions from the government to look into the plight of the political prisoners which the hunger strikers have been calling for," TFDP executive director Emmanuel Amistad said. The dialogue between the government and human rights groups has made way for the review of the guidelines on granting executive clemency and on other matters involving prison reforms, TFDP said. The group said the review begin after an “unfortunate incident" where Mariano Umbrero, a political prisoner whom President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III pardoned only four days after the detainees death. TFDP had criticized President for the incident. TFDP issued the statement on the death anniversary of slain opposition leader Benigno Aquino Jr., Noynoy's father, who himself was a political prisoner.
Ninoy Aquino, whose death inspired the People Power Revolution, spent seven years in prison for opposing the Marcos dictatorship, said a special GMA News television report. — with Paterno Esmaquel II and Egay Cabalitan Jr./LBG, GMA News