Rody to pardon old, sick political prisoners

MANILA, Philippines - President Duterte yesterday said he would allow the release of old and sick political prisoners before Christmas.

In a speech during the Christmas tree lighting at the Malacañang grounds last night, Duterte said “there’s really no point in detaining a person who is old and sick.”

“I find it something not…It’s a very awkward feeling, I am uncomfortable. So ‘yung lahat ng matatanda, may sakit, umalis na kayo (so all the old and sick, they may leave),” he added.

But Duterte said he cannot release more than a hundred political prisoners as requested by the Left.

“I know that the Left has good intentions for our country. Long ago, I used to cross the ideological border because I was a student once and I saw the inequity…I also saw the other side, how should it be in government,” he said.

“We have to continue and even now they’re asking for the release of 130 political prisoners. I said, I cannot give you that. I’m sorry but I have already conceded so much on the side of the government.

“But you’re going back tomorrow and if you can show me a document signed by the Republic of the Philippines representatives and communists, then I will release the 130 plus more because by asking that…how many are there still beyond 70 years old and those suffering from incurable diseases at this time, who has cancer or kidney (problem) or anything? And if they are ready to be released and will be accepted by the families, i-release ko na (I will release them) before Christmas time,” he added.

Before Duterte’s speech, political prisoners and their families yesterday went on the third day of their week-long hunger strike to appeal to the administration to finally free more than a hundred of political prisoners this Christmas.

In a statement, the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) challenged the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process to “walk the talk on its commitment to release political prisoners.”

“Don’t anymore make promises you can’t keep. Bring political prisoners home to their families this Christmas. They have languished in jails for many years and served unjust sentences for crimes they did not commit,” said Joseph Canlas, chairman of KMP.

“Political prisoners are not criminals. They were imprisoned because of their political beliefs and actions related to their quest for social justice. Many of them are farmers who have defended their right to the land they till,” he added.

Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza said yesterday that the government is working on the release of political prisoners.

Dureza also said the government “understands their angst and impatience but we are all forgetting that these efforts were never possible nor even imaginable in the previous times.”

“It is only in the Duterte administration that these releases are all happening,” he added.

Canlas said that while the KMP welcomes the presidential pardon for political prisoners Martin Villanueva, Bonifacio Suyon, Dindo Absalon and Rico Bodina, it is campaigning for the release of all 300 peasant political prisoners.

He said among them are Dario Tomada and Oscar Belleza, both detained at the Manila City Jail after being falsely implicated in the Hilongos, Leyte mass grave case.

Tomada, 56, is a former leader of peasant group SAGUPA-Sinirangan Bisayas. He was arrested on July 22, 2010 in Biñan, Laguna.

Belleza, 59, is the former vice chairman of KMP-Leyte. He was arrested on Nov. 26, 2008 in Olongapo City. He suffered a stroke while in detention and underwent brain surgery. He is now paralyzed and in poor health. – Alexis Romero, Ding Cervantes, Jose Rodel Clapano