Aquino assailed in convict’s death
Human rights and health groups have assailed President Benigno Aquino III for his alleged failure to act on the application for executive clemency of a prisoner who died of cancer Friday at the New Bilibid Prison.
“He is a heartless, uncompassionate president, a president bereft of any compassion for human rights victims,” said Emmanuel Amistad, executive director of Task Force Detainees Philippines (TFDP), in a statement.
Amistad said that together with other members of the human rights community, TFDP appealed for the release of Mariano Umbrero on humanitarian grounds but there was no reaction from Mr. Aquino.
According to the Medical Action Group (MAG), the 63-year-old Umbrero, who was diagnosed with lung cancer in February, died at the NBP hospital from a lack of medical care.
“It was just inhuman. Tatay Umbrero’s life could have been prolonged if he was freed immediately from prison. We believe a hospital complete with medical facilities, not a prison cell, is the place for old and sick inmates like him,” said Edeliza Hernandez of MAG in a separate statement.
Umbrero, who had been imprisoned since 2004, applied for executive clemency from Mr. Aquino.
Umbrero was convicted of kidnapping and was charged as a member of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army during martial law. He was given a conditional pardon by former President Fidel Ramos but was arrested in 2004 on resurrected murder charges.
Based on data from the Episcopal Commission on Prison Care, there are 122 convicts who are up for pardon after reaching the age of 70, TFDP said.
It said it had submitted to the Department of Justice a proposal to lower the age limit of those eligible for pardon from 70 to 60 and to include those who are “terminally ill and have debilitating diseases.” Tina G. Santos
