PEOPLES’ LAWYERS DENOUNCE GESTAPO-LIKE RAID ON HEALTH WORKERS TRAINING
PRESS
STATEMENT
11 February
2010
PEOPLES’ LAWYERS DENOUNCE GESTAPO-LIKE RAID
ON HEALTH WORKERS TRAINING
Vows to Make
the Perpetrators Accountable Before Various Local and International Fora
The National
Union of Peoples’ Lawyers denounces the illegal arrest, continued illegal detention,
torture and cruel, degrading and inhuman treatment of forty-three (43) health
workers abducted by the military in the morning of February 6, 2010.
This act of
the military shows a blatant disregard and disrespect not only of proper legal
procedures but also of basic human dignity, and is replete with human rights
violations left and right.
From the very
beginning, the search itself was illegal, because it proceeded from a search
warrant that was invalid on its face. But the indubitable fact is that the
“evidence” that was presented were routinarily planted to justify and cover-up
the illegality of this blunder. The
arrested health workers were also denied their basic constitutional rights
which every civilized society should follow. They were purposely uninformed of
the nature of their arrest, and they were simply blindfolded and led away like
cattle. Also, all the health workers were denied visit by counsel, doctors, and
family, in clear contravention of their rights. Up to now, despite our protestations and
assertions as members of the court sworn to perform our duties, we have been
denied access to our clients in utter disregard and contempt of the basic right
to counsel.
We have also
received the latest reports from the detained health workers that they have
been subjected to acts of torture, both physical and mental, by their military
abductors. It is deplorable that the military was determined to showcase their brute
force and superior strength by sending eight (8) military trucks, two (2)
armored personnel carriers, and at least three hundred (300) heavily-armed
soldiers and policemen to arrest forty-three (43) unarmed health workers.
By the way,
these health workers, according to the military, are members of the New
Peoples’ Army. In fact, the military does not suspect it; the military is 101%
sure that these workers have Communist ties. But they are legitimate health
workers, doing legitimate health outreach projects. Among them are doctors,
nurses, and medical aides, who have chosen to devote themselves to helping the
local community by bringing the medical missions to them, since the government
is unable or refuses to do it.
The National
Union of Peoples’ Lawyers, together with the PublicInterest Law Center (PILC), will defend to
the fore our clients and ensure that civil, administrative, and criminal cases
will be filed both in the local and international fora against each and every
one accountable for this latest affront
to human rightsWe have also closed ranks with our colleagues
in the profession in the international community to expose this barbaric and
unmitigated travesty that happensunder this government that has no qualms and
sense of decency. We further challenge those running in the coming elections to
unequivocally state where they stand on this basic question of the so-called
rule of law and human rights. #
