Palayain! Free All Political Prisoners in the Philippines!
Nobody should be imprisoned for their political beliefs and for defending human rights!
The human rights situation in the Philippines under the Marcos, Jr. and Sara Duterte Regime is dire and continues to worsen. Since assuming office, Marcos Jr. has unleashed state sanctioned violence and political repression against the Filipino people in order to suppress those who are critical of the regime due to their advocacy of genuine human rights, democracy, and sovereignty.
The regimes’ arsenal of state repression and counterinsurgency has violated international humanitarian law and utilized tactics of extrajudicial killings, mass red-tagging through agencies like the NTF-ELCAC, illegal arrests and detention, enforced disappearances, torture, fake surrenders, and aerial bombings.
As of November 30, 2023, there are currently 795 political prisoners detained in the Philippines, cramped up in congested prisons, faced with trumped-up charges.
795 political prisoners
78 are elderly
159 are women
98 are sickly & suffer from illnesses
84 were arrested under Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte
The Philippines is the world’s 3rd most congested prison systems with a 421% overcrowding rate
Political prisoners are not only wrongfully detained, they are languishing under terrible, inhumane conditions due to overcrowding, mismanagement, and corruption:
The Philippines is the 3rd most congested prison systems in the world, with a 421% overcrowding rate
Political prisoners in the Philippines subsist on an allotted ₱70 ($1.26) per day, but many don’t even receive this meager amount due to corruption
Small servings of low-quality food make up political prisoners’ typical diet, and many people go hungry and suffer malnutrition if they don’t have money to buy more or receive outside support
Many are forced to endure different forms of torture like being held incommunicado from people, family, lawyers or doctors to living in squalid conditions, and experience the slow progress of their court cases and justice.
Death of Marcos Villareal, a Sick Political Prisoner
On the International Day of Solidarity on December 3, Marcos Villareal, one of the 98 sick political prisoners died waiting for a motion for reduced bail amount.
Marcos Villareal, was married and a father to 8 children, a copra farmer and barangay tanod when he was jailed on August 11, 2020 on a trumped-up charge of murder. Due to the weak case against him, he was allowed to post bail for 200,000 pesos. However, as a poor farmer he was never released due to inability to pay the bail amount.
Villareal already suffered from hypertension and lack of medical attention when diagnosed with chronic kidney disease in July 2023. His condition quickly deteriorated living in the squalid conditions of Tinangis jail, one of the most notoriously congested jails.
Villareal’s case highlights the urgent need to free all political prisoners, especially the elderly and sick like Gerardo Dela Peña, the Philippines oldest political prisoner!
Free All Political Prisoners and Peace Consultants!
With the prospects of the resumption of Peace Talks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), Malaya USA calls for the release of all 795 political prisoners, including the 17 NDFP Peace Consultants, as an act of good faith in the negotiations and as a commitment to upholding international humanitarian law.
Join the Movement to Free All Political Prisoners in the Philippines! Get involved: tinyurl.com/malaya-free-all
The Malaya Movement USA Campaign for Palayain! Free All Political Prisoners in the Philippines aims to:
Raise awareness about the human rights situation and the conditions of the growing number of political prisoners in the Philippines
Share political prisoners’ stories & highlight the causes they’re fighting for
Provide tangible support for their well being, legal needs, and call for their immediate and unconditional release
Build solidarity and partnerships with other movements fighting for the cause of political prisoners
How can you take action?
Donate to support the immediate and long term needs of political prisoners: tinyurl.com/malaya-pp-donate
Adopt a political prisoner and advocate for their immediate release
Write letters of support & solidarity to political prisoners & email them to: info@malayamovement.com
Lobby & Advocate for Philippine Human Rights Act!
Visit: humanrightsph.org
Become a member of the Malaya Movement USA: tinyurl.com/joinmalaya
Follow us: @malayamovement @palayainpilipinas
