Marcos detainees end 18-day hunger strike

Press, 26 November 1980, Page 9

Marcos detainees end 18-day hunger strike

By

DAVD WATTS

Manila

of “The Times” (througl INZPA Manili About BO Philippine polij tical detanees at Bicutai Prison haje ended an 18-da’ hunger srike after Cardin Sin, Arcibishop of Mani]/i relayed h . promise frd President; Marcos ttt “many of them would be Ileased sc»n.” . / They had demanded Ae release jot 83 of t£ir ] number h’ho they said dre i being drained without bPS I charged, 1 or were physiflly unfit fordetention. I i The lunger, strike sfed , to focu( attention on ttf increasing number of wple 1 arrestee over the paspew months in the Philifines i and th inefficiency / the i bureauracy handlingmar- ’ tial-lavj detainees. 7 i Opp/sition to Phdent ; Marco' both extrerf and < modente, had brouglpn in- i crease in the nuiyr of ; peopU being held under i arrest search and/eizure s ordeH as a means / bring- j ing anti-Marcos fltiment

t mder control. ;1 One detention centre in Manila which had 40 1; nmates in May now has i/134. Detainees picked up (l under the arrest, search and seizure orders can be detained indefinitely by the military without being charged or tried. ’ But the hunger strikers at Bicutan in the Manila suburbs and opposition lawyers complained about a system under which many prisoners remain in detention long after they had been cleared for release by the military. There are 1057 detainees accounted for but others may be held in unknown military “safehouses.” The use- of the arrest, search’ and seizure orders measure ' as a political weapon is graphically illustrated by some of the recent arrests which have included students exercising their rights of freedom Of speech and a youngtman who was arrested after' doing a consumer’s survey on' petrol prices. Of more fundamental con-

cern is the employment of what appear to be trumpedup charges against the moderate, non-violent Opposition as a means of harrassing and effectively prohibiting their activities, and the use in many cases of military tribunals, which leave the final ruling in the hands of President Marcos. It is clear, also, that some of the evidence in recent cases before military tribunals has been obtained by torture.

According to a defence lawyer for two former senators who are on trial for subversion and allegedly attempting to assassinate President Marcos, the evidence being presented by the military would never be accepted in any other but a military court. And not only did the defendants first learn in a newspaper that they were going to be tried, but having been charged with such serious offences they were both allowed to remain at liberty. Yet, if found guilty, the former senators face a mandatory death sentence.