Press Statement
06 December 2010

MAKABAYAN demands the immediate and unconditional release of the 43 volunteer doctors, midwives and community health workers now in the 3rd day of hunger strike to protest their unjust arrest and detention.

“Why does President Aquino refuse to intervene for the release of the 43 health workers when he himself acknowledged that the search warrant was defective and the evidence thus produced was illegally obtained? Isn’t this silently condoning the abuse of human rights?” says Satur Ocampo, MAKABAYAN President, on the 10th month of the Morong 43’s detention.

The Morong 43’s continued detention based on a defective search warrant is an injustice not only to them and their families, more so to the communities which rely on their services as health workers. Liza Maza, MAKABAYAN vice-president, added, “How many indigent pregnant women and children have been endangered since the Morong 43’s arrest? How many ailing farmers have not been been given a check up since the AFP and PNP forcibly took the volunteers while they were on a medical training?”

Apart from the human rights abuses, the great injustice which the detention is highlighting to the world is the gross negligence of the administration in providing basic services to its people. These doctors and community health workers are serving far flung communities for the simple reason that the government is not there to do its duties. Denying these communities health care is another crime to which this administration must answer to.

The Morong 43’s only fault is being acutely aware of the people’s suffering, their only “crime” is providing free health care services to the needy, and their only “violation” is making sure that medical help is given to the poor. The people have had enough of this administration’s silence, we demand the immediate and unconditional release of the Morong 43.

Free the Morong 43!
Free all political prisoners!

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