‘Release activist, baby from Cagayan jail’

MANILA, Philippines — A support group of political prisoners reiterated its call for the release of activist Amanda Echanis and her three-month-old baby from a jail in Cagayan, where 17 inmates recently tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019.

“While we call on the local government to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 among prisoners and jail personnel, we assert that Echanis should be released with her infant at the soonest possible time as children below one year are believed to be at higher risk of severe illness,” Fides Lim, Kapatid spokesperson said.

Lim said they hope that authorities would not use the “release the child” argument, noting that separating an infant from the mother is ”not an option, harmful and inhumane.”

”The health of Echanis and her baby is at risk, especially in an overly congested, poorly equipped prison conditions where social distancing is impossible and mass testing for COVID-19 is ignored,” she said.

Echanis was arrested in a raid on her house in Baggao town last month. She was charged with illegal possession of firearms and explosives.

Her father, Randall, a consultant of the National Democratic Front, and his companion were killed by unidentified assailants in Quezon City on Aug. 10 last year. – Artemio Dumlao