“AFP Using PNP as Scapegoat for Violations!” - HEAD

Health Alliance for Democracy (HEAD)
Media Release
20 March 2010

The Armed Forces of the Philippines is now using the Philippine National Police as a convenient scapegoat for their illegal raid and human rights violations.

According to Health Alliance for Democracy, the AFP is desperately trying to justify the illegal raid they conducted last February 6 in Morong, Rizal, which led to the illegal arrest, detention, and torture of 43 health workers.

“The AFP has previously insisted that the raid was legitimate by virtue of a warrant that was to be served by the PNP. However, such excuses have cast the PNP in a bad light by showing them to be either totally inept or mere subordinates of the military,” said Dr. Geneve E. Rivera, HEAD secretary-general.

Recent statements made by PNP Director General Jesus Verzosa directly contradict claims made by military officers that the raid was a “police operation”. His statements on the search warrant also reveal that the police had very little control of the February 6 raid, which explains the blatant human rights violations and wanton disregard for due process and standard operating procedures.

“The alleged warrant is crucial to the lies being peddled by the military because they have used it since day 1 to show that they ‘respect’ the rule of law,” added Dr. Rivera.

“Now, it is not just the legitimacy of the warrant but the raid itself that is being put in question. By the sheer volume of violations committed by the raiding party that day, it will appear that the PNP does not even know how to conduct an arrest. At least, that is what the AFP is making it look like.”

The statements of Lt. Col. Noel Detoyato, spokesperson of the 2nd Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, also reveal that the military had absolutely no intentions of following due process and merely used any warrant to justify their actions.

“If the military operation’s real targets were the so-called rebels, as Lt. Col. Detoyato admitted, then theirs was not a police operation as they earlier claimed,” added Dr. Rivera. “The military only used the warrant, and the PNP, to justify why they launched an attack on unarmed civilians.”

For HEAD, statements of PNP also belie claims by the military that the reason why the 43 remains in their custody is because the PNP has no adequate facility. “Such lame excuse is passing the buck of inefficiency to the PNP.”

Now, the AFP is again using alleged statements, supposedly from the Department of Health and other medical groups, to lend credence to their accusations that the 43 are rebels.

“The 43 are health workers. No amount of accusations or concocted stories made against them will negate this simple fact.”

“Instead, by the PNP statements, the detainees should be immediately released, since there is obviously no due process followed in their arrest and detention. Even the police acknowledge that!” concluded Dr. Rivera. ###

References:

Dr. Geneve E. Rivera
Secretary-General, 0920 460 3712

Dr. Darby S. Santiago
Chair, 0927 473 7700

PGH private clinics, labs plan tied to row - INQUIRER.net

PGH private clinics, labs plan tied to row - INQUIRER.net

Unity Statement

Coalition for Truth, Justice and Good Governance*
University of the Philippines Manila

March 14, 2010

We, the different organizations, representing the students, administrative staff, REPS and Faculty of the University of the Philippines Manila, realizing our roles and responsibilities both to our respective constituents and to the Filipino people hereby declare:

That the University of the Philippines Board of Regents’ (UP-BOR) (the highest policy-making and governing body of the national university, on its 1254th Meeting on February 25, 2010), decision of appointing a new Director for the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), thereby nullifying its decision on its 1252nd Meeting on December 18, 2009, is unjust, capricious, and reek of political interference;

That the removal of Dr. Gonzales as Director of PGH without due cause and due process are violative of constitutional guarantees on security of tenure and non-removal of civil service officer or employee except for cause provided by law;

That the UP-BOR’s decision to appoint a new PGH Director in spite of an existing valid appointment of Dr. Jose Gonzales as Director of PGH from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2012 has created divisiveness among the rank-and file hospital employees affecting morale and camaraderie.

We believe that Dr. Jose Gonzales was removed as Director of PGH because of his unflinching stand against the privatization of the hospital, starting on his opposition to privatized services at the proposed Faculty Medical Arts Building (FMAB).

We are aghast that the arbitrary removal of Dr. Jose Gonzales as Director of PGH, and the Machiavellian manipulation of technicalities to justify just about anything and to maneuver events to get precisely the desired results, the UP administration led by President Emerlinda Roman, had become even worse than the GMA administration except perhaps for the wanton killings and enforced disappearances.

We therefore call on our constituencies – students, administrative staff, REPS and Faculty of the University of the Philippines Manila: let us unite against impunity, abuse of power, and lack of democracy by the UP-BOR and Roman Administration; and against apathy and passivity in our ranks.

Oppose Roman’s undemocratic governance!
Oppose Malacanang intervention in decision-making in UP!
Oppose privatization of health services, fight for people’s right to health!
Uphold security of tenure and due process!
Uphold democratic representation in the university, and the principles of accountability and transparency in decision making!
___________

*All UP Workers Union Manila
All UP Academic Employees Union Manila
Laban UP-PGH
PGH Head Nurses League
PGH Nursing Attendants Association
PGH Utility Workers Association
University Student Council-UP Manila

Hundreds of hospitals closed due to lack of health personnel

Council for Health and Development
Media Release
March 12, 2010

In the midst of the exodus of health professionals and the lack of health workers in the rural areas, the government continues to allow the illegal detention of 43 health workers in Camp Capinpin, Tanay, Rizal. These health workers have chosen to dedicate their lives and careers to serve the underprivileged in most far-flung villages while they can be better-off practicing their professions in private and state-of-the art hospitals in the cities. Sadly though, the Court of Appeals decided to legalize the unlawful arrests made by the military by adhering to the Ilagan v Enrile document – a notorious Martial Law doctrine.

“Is Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo aware that while she decorates her generals involved in this unlawful arrest, 200 hospitals have shut down and 800 are partially closed because of lack of health personnel in the countryside? Is she fully aware of the role of Community Health Workers in far-flung villages that have no access to government services? Because Mrs. Arroyo is so busy exploring every nook and cranny of the law to get emergency powers, we believe she chose to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to all the injustices that her military has done to the noble health workers serving government-neglected barangays,” Council for Health and Development Executive Director Dr. Eleanor A. Jara said.

To date, majority of doctors and nurses are employed in urban centers in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Southern Tagalog. Data from the Department of Health and the National Statistics Office reveal that as of 2007, doctors number to 125,899 and nurses at 5,426 in the NCR while there are 75,213 nurses and 3,876 doctors in Region 4-A.

In a report, among the hospitals that closed were the Almagro Community Hospital in Western Samar, Tapul Municipal Hospital, Tangkil Municipal Hospital, Pangutaran District Hospital, Siasi District Hospital and Panamao District Hospital in Sulu, and the Sergio Osmena District Hospital in Zamboanga del Norte. Meanwhile, the Calbayog District Hospital, Gandara District Hospital, Basey District Hospital and Tarangnan District Hospital in Western Samar, the Malipayon District Hospital, San Jose District Hospital and San Andres District Hospital in Romblon, and the Jolo Provincial Hospital remain partially closed.

In a country that suffers from a severe brain-drain due to the migration of health professionals for greener pastures abroad, it is indeed ironic for a government to allow the persecution of health workers instead of protecting them to encourage more health professionals to serve the barrios,” Dr. Jara lamented.

In conclusion, Dr. Jara challenged the Department of Health through its Secretary to act on her capacity to seek justice for the 43 and ensure the protection of all health workers especially those serving in the country side so as to break the chilling effect that the unlawful arrests have brought to the health community.##

Reference: Dr. Eleanor A. Jara – 0917-9789297/(+632) 929-8109

AFP should stop usurping civilian function

Free the 43 Health Workers

Media Release
March 12, 2010

The Alliance of Free the 43 Health Workers today demanded for the transfer of ALL 43 health workers to Camp Crame, Quezon City. The Alliance said that for more than a month now, the 2nd Infantry Division of the Philippine Army is usurping a civilian function that the police instead should perform.

Dr. Eleanor A. Jara, one of the spokespersons of the Alliance said that the military’s continuing and aggravating torture on the 43 should immediately prompt the courts to order the transfer of all the health workers presently detained at Camp Capinpin, Tanay, Rizal. She explained that the transfer to Camp Crame, which is distant from the military officers and officials, would at least make the health workers’ environment less hostile and more accessible to families, colleagues, and counsels of the 43.

“The transfer, however, does not and will not soften our demand for the immediate release of our colleagues because they should not have been detained in the first place. Their arrest was unlawful and they are victims of the military’s shameful violation of political and civil rights,” Dr. Jara added.

She further explained that on top of the physical and mental torture inflicted on the 43, the military continues to harass and take into custody some of the family members of the health workers. “The detainees’ families have reported this and we have no reason not to believe them because the military has every reason to do so – that is to force the 43 to admit to false accusations that they are members of the New People’s Army, hence to vindicate their unjust arrests,” she noted.

The doctor added that the families continue to suffer emotionally because of reports that the military continuously take some detainees out of their cells in the wee hours to either threaten or coax them to make false admissions. Despite the military’s claim that 5 of the health workers have “defected” to their side, Alliance maintains that such “admissions” are results of torture to the detainees and harassment to their families.

“That is why it is with utmost urgency that as we lobby and call for the immediate release of the 43 health workers, we appeal to the courts to transfer the custody of the 43 to Camp Crame and far from their torturers that is the Philippine Army in Camp Capinpin,” Dr. Jara ended.##

Reference: Dr. Eleanor A. Jara – 0917-9789297/(+632) 929-8109

35 Examiner Street, West Triangle Homes, Quezon City, Philippines 1104
Telefax: (+632) 929-8109
Email: chdmancom@gmail.com/headphil@gmail.com

Blog: http://freethehealthworkers.blogspot.com/
Petition Online: http://www.petitiononline.com/FreeD43/petition.html

From a Retired PGH Personnel on the PGH Directorship Issue « U.P. ISSUES

"The faculty doctors should also realize by now that they were used : free clinic spaces in FMAB were dangled so that a private group would be able to privatize and corner the lucrative pharmaceutical and laboratory business in PGH, and right within its premises ! Even Chairman Angeles had misgivings about allowing a private group to operate these services in PGH."

"Many retirees like myself have been joining the continuing efforts to give justice to Dr. Joegon because we are aghast to see our officials bastardizing revered institutions , ethics and collegial practices in the university. Its a sad day indeed, when “impunity” has reached the hollowed halls of the university that has nurtured us and taught us these values!"

From a Retired PGH Personnel on the PGH Directorship Issue « U.P. ISSUES

Group Releases Scathing Report on Violations of Workers’ Rights in Philippines - Bulatlat

The Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR), an NGO that documents and monitors human-rights violations committed against workers, released today a report that says that, in the past 50 years, unemployment in the country is highest in the nine years that President Arroyo is in power. “To date, 95 workers, trade unionists and labor rights activists had been killed extrajudicially, four were abducted and forcibly disappeared, and no one had been prosecuted for these murders,” the center said.

Group Releases Scathing Report on Violations of Workers’ Rights in Philippines - Bulatlat