Group calls for release of political prisoners

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MANILA, Philippines — The release on bail of former Sen. Leila de Lima following the retractions of state witnesses should pave the way for the release of other political prisoners who are also victims of political persecution, according to a support group of political prisoners.

“The wrongful detention of Sen. de Lima for nearly seven years would not have happened had the Department of Justice upheld the rule of law from the beginning and rejected the filing of false cases against the fiercest critic of former President Duterte and his failed drug war,” Kapatid spokesperson Fides Lim said in a statement on Tuesday.

“There are 777 more political prisoners who likewise face utterly baseless charges like illegal possession of firearms and explosives that were in fact planted to deny them the right to bail,” she added.

She cited the case of her husband, longtime activist Vicente Ladlad, and the husband-and-wife couple Alberto and Virginia Villamor. The three political prisoners marked their fifth year of “unjust detention” at Camp Bagong Diwa, in Bicutan, Taguig City.

Ladlad, a peace consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), and his two companions were arrested on Nov. 8, 2018, in Quezon City for illegal possession of firearms and grenades. The case of illegal possession of explosives is nonbailable.

NDFP is the political arm of the Communist Party of the Philippines. At the time, President Duterte scrapped the peace talks between the government and the communist rebels.

Lim and other progressive and human rights groups, however, claimed the guns and grenades were planted by the police.

“Kapatid calls on the Department of Justice to stop from allowing itself to be used as an instrument of political persecution by concocting cases to keep dissenters and activists in prolonged detention,” Lim said.

‘Suborning perjury’

Meanwhile, Sen. Franklin Drilon, a former justice secretary, said those who coerced witnesses into providing false testimony should be held accountable for the unjust imprisonment of De Lima.

In a statement on Tuesday, Drilon said former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre could be held accountable for the crime of subornation of perjury, and he may be imprisoned for 10 to 12 years.

The Supreme Court has ruled that subornation of perjury is committed by a person who “knowingly and willfully procures another to swear falsely.”

“We are very happy that the rule of law has prevailed but who will answer for the sufferings of Leila De Lima for the last seven years because of invented and unwarranted charges?” Drilon said.

“For me, those who made these false and fabricated charges should be prosecuted. They should not be left unperturbed. There should be ones held responsible [for De Lima’s unjust detention],” he added.

In April last year, former Bureau of Corrections officer in charge Rafael Ragos retracted his affidavits, saying he was only forced by Aguirre.