Rights group calls for political prisoners’ release

MANILA, Philippines — The government should release the 609 political prisoners on humanitarian grounds, according to the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP), adding that the COVID-19 outbreak in prisons could be a death sentence for them.

Most of the prisoners’ cases are nonbailable and have been stalled in courts for years, ICHRP chair Peter Murphy said in a statement on Wednesday.

He said most of the Filipino farmers, union leaders, government critics and human rights defenders still had to undergo trial “which, under the Philippine Constitution and international law would make them innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt,” the ICHRP said.

The same compassion shown to the 9,731 released prisoners should be given to political prisoners, Murphy said.

—Mariejo S. Ramos