If Malacañang really cares for activists’ health, why arrest, jail them? — Bayan

MANILA, Philippines — A group has labeled Malacañang’s concern over the health of activists amid the pandemic as insincere, as the government should have not arrested activists during protests if it really cared.

According to Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque’s request that activists do away with protests as the Palace cares for their health is contradicting the arrest of activists who were suspected to have contracted COVID-19 in detention facilities.

Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes also told Roque on Thursday that if Malacañang truly cared, then it should have not created conditions that would trigger people to protest in the face of a health crisis.

“Stop feigning concern for our health. If you were really concerned, you would not arrest activists, throw them in jail and expose them to COVID-19. Several activists previously arrested tested positive for COVID-19 after spending days inside crowded jail facilities,” Reyes said in a statement.

“Malacañang does not care for the welfare of protesters. It cares only for the interests of those in power. It has only used the pandemic to silence dissent. The whole world knows this,” he added.

During the pandemic, several protest movements have been made to denounce policies of President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration — from alleged slow-paced COVID-19 response, the supposed attack on human rights, and the push for the Anti-Terrorism Law.

At least three activists who were detained by police have tested positive for the coronavirus after being released — two of them were members of the Piston transport group, who were protesting the ban on jeepneys despite resumption of public transportation.

READ: Two of ‘Piston 6’ infected after days in detention

The other patient was a paralegal staffer of Anakpawis, who was detained after he guarded the cadaver of slain peace consultant Randall Echanis. Echanis’ body was taken away by police officers after they insisted that he was not yet identified properly.

READ: Paralegal exec contracts COVID-19 after arrest for securing Echanis’ remains

Roque’s statement earlier came after activists staged various demonstrations on Wednesday, in commemoration of the Philippine Peasant Month, and in protest of the unjust treatment of political prisoner Reina Mae Nasino during the wake of her 3-month-old baby River.

READ: Palace tells protesters: Refrain from gathering, we care for your health

Reyes said that if Malacañang was concerned, it would have not allowed Nasino and her daughter to be separated.

“If Malacañang truly cared, it would not have created the conditions that caused distress and separation of a political prisoner and her daughter,” he claimed.

“If Malacañang truly cared, it would abandon the policy of red-tagging which is as dangerous to activists as the pandemic. Baka mauna pang mamamatay kami sa kamay ninyo bago  kami mamatay sa COVID19. Hindi ba ang lala?” he added.

JE