Reference: Roneo Clamor, SELDA
national coordinator, 0917-5965859
Samahan ng Ex-Detainees labansa
Detensyon at Aresto (SELDA) strongly condemned the illegal arrest and detention
against 3-month pregnant woman organizer Maria Miradel Torres on June 20 in
Lucena City.
According to Karapatan-Southern
Tagalog, Torres was suffering from pregnancy-related bleeding and was very weak
when she was arrested by elements of the Southern Luzon Command headed by Lt.
General Caesar Ronnie F. Ordoyo. Torres was immediately brought by the military
to Camp G. Nakar in Lucena City. The military claimed that Torres is
wanted for murder case filed before the Regional Trial Court in Infanta,
Quezon.
On June 23, in the guise of
“military camp rules,” Torres’ relatives were denied entry by the military
despite the demand from Torres’counsel.
“This is a blatant violation of the Rights of Persons Arrested, Detained or under Custodial
Investigation (RA 7438). Torres has the
right to be visited by his family, legal counsel or human rights
organizations,”Roneo Clamor, SELDA’s national
coordinator said.
Section 2 of RA 7438 states,” Any person arrested or detained or under custodial
investigation shall be allowed visits by or conferences with any member of his
immediate family, or any medical doctor or priest or religious minister chosen
by him or by any member of his immediate family or by his counsel, or by any
national non-governmental organization duly accredited by the Commission on
Human Rights of by any international non-governmental organization duly
accredited by the Office of the President,” Clamor added that “immediate
family” includes the arrested person’s “spouse, fiancé or fiancée, parent or
child, brother or sister, grandparent or grandchild, uncle or aunt, nephew or
niece, and guardian or ward.” Torres was surreptitiously transferred from Camp
Nakar to Taguig City Jail-Female Dorm in Taguig City early this morning where
seven women political prisoners including Andrea Rosal are currently detained.
“Torres needs immediate medical
attention especially because her pregnancy falls within the critical period.
Torres must be immediately brought to a hospital for pre-natal care and not in
a congested detention cell where she is prone to acquire communicable diseases.
Jailing her makes her prone to abortion. We will not allow another episode of
Andrea Rosal’s tragedy,” Clamor said.
“We challenge the Office of the
Ombudsman and the Commission on Human Rights to immediately investigate and
file appropriate charges against those who illegally arrested Maria Miradel
Torres. We demand that the murder case against Torres be withdrawn by the
Department of Justice. Maria Miradel Torres must be released immediately on
humanitarian grounds! BS Aquino’s apparatus of repression, the AFP, PNP and the
BJMP must be held accountable.”Clamor concluded. ###
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