Political detainees fast for peace consultant's release

MANILA, Philippines - Political prisoners in Camp Crame, Quezon City have joined the  nationwide fasting against the conviction of peace consultant Eduardo Sarmiento, the rights group Karapatan said on Monday.

"Sarmiento was one-sidedly convicted guilty by Judge Myra Bayot-Quiambao of Muntinlupa RTC (Regional Trial Court) despite violations on the evidence’s (a single fragmentation grenade) chain of custody and questionable testimonies of the arresting officers," the Camp Crame political prisoners said in a statement.

Karapatan said that signatories of the statement include Sarmientos's  fellow political detainees Ramon Argente, Reynante Gamara and Eduardo Serrano, peace consultants of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.

The group said that all of the signatories, including Dionisio Almonte and Gloria Almonte—husband and wife who were arrested early January—started their solidarity fasting Saturday as their protest against the government’s disrespect for the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law and the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees.

Sarmiento was transferred to the New Bilibid Prison’s maximum security compound last Jan. 15, during which Karapatan and other human rights organizations protested in front of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process for its "being an instrument of the Aquino administration in stalling the peace process."

The six political detainees reiterated their call for the Aquino government to free all political prisoners.