Sharon Cabusao, a former political detainee, laments the condition of prisoners, especially women in cramped prisons during the National Women Summit in Davao City on Friday afternoon, June 24. (Medel V. Hernani/davaotoday.com)
DAVAO CITY (Updated as of June 25, 2016, 6:07 pm) — A former political detainee is calling on incoming members of Congress to support the amnesty for political prisoners which President-elect Rodrigo Duterte plans to do.
“We hope that no one (in Congress) will block the general amnesty for all political prisoners,” Cabusao told Davao Today in an interview during the National Women’s Summit held at the Alexian Wellness Center on Friday, June 24.
“Whoever will block the peace talks surely has no love for justice and peace, that is what the Filipino people want,” Cabusao said.
“Ito ay isang golden opportunity para sa ating bansa. Sana wala ng humadlang dun. Pakinggan na natin ang boses ng mamamayang Pilipino (This is a golden opportunity for our country. Hopefully there will be no hindrance. Let us all listen to the voice of the Filipino people),” she added.
Rossanna Sharon Cabusao was freed last June 14. She was arrested on June 1 last year, along with her husband, Adelberto Silva and their house caretaker, Isidro de Lima in Bacoor, Cavite.
The Philippine National Police and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group charged the three with illegal possession of explosives. Meanwhile, Silva, who is a consultant for labor for the National Democratic Front of the Philippines and a Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (Jasig) holder. The NDF said Silva is a holder of NDFP Document of Identification ND978229 with assumed name Percival Rojo. Under the Jasig, an agreement signed between the previous administration and the NDFP, all peace consultants are guaranteed immunity from arrest, detention, surveillance, harassment, search and other punitive actions.
Duterte: No mass release of NPA in gov’t custody
However, Duterte during the turnover ceremony of the command post of the Davao City Police Office on Friday afternoon, June 24 clarified that “there will be no mass release of NPAs” who are in government custody.
He said what he talked about before was for the release of the CPP leaders, Benito and Wilma Tiamzon, to allow them to participate in the peace talks.
“What I said was, I will only agree during the preliminary stage of this Oslo talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines, here in the Philippines, I will give the leaders, the Tiamzon spouses, free conduct pass outside to allow them to take part in the talks,” he said.
“But there will be no mass release of NPAs who are in our custody. They will only be released, if things go good, fine. Then maybe, if they are ready to surrender the arms, and resume their normal role in the society, then I might consider with Congress, amnesty,” he said.
“Amnesty is given to a group of persons. Yan ang sinabi ko. Wala akong sinabi na i-release ko lahat (That’s what I said. I didn’t say that I will release all of them),” he said.
Trumped-up charges
The 53-year old member of Gabriela, a national women’s alliance, said they were arrested without warrant.
“Our house was searched, destroyed, without warrant,” she said.
The arrest happened around 11:00 in the evening while the couple was about to sleep.
“We were preparing to sleep when I saw a number of men with long firearms outside our gate,” Cabusao said.
Before she got back their bedroom, armed men have already surrounded the room with the guns pointed at them.
But what was most disappointing for her was that the evidences presented by the authorities were planted.
“Sino namang maniniwala na may granada sa bawat kwarto ng bahay na nakita raw ng mga arresting officers in plain view?” she said.
“It means the grenades were just within our reach, that’s impossible” said Cabusao.
But, she said the target of the arrest her husband, Silva who is working as a peace consultant for labor.
Life as a detainee
Cabusao said detainees in the country’s prison camps suffer from congested jail.
She said a prison cell, about four by five meters, holds more than 40 women prisoners.
“It’s very congested. Your breathing seems connected,” she said.
Luckily, a sickly women detainee like her was put in a room near the infirmary that is somewhat well-ventilated. But still, the one by three-meter room where she stayed, she also shared with eight other sick and elderly detainees. Cabusao suffers from chronic anemia.
But Cabusao said a number of sickly and elderly political detainees are staying in cramped cells together with common criminals.
A detainee is also served a small bowl of congee without any meat.
“There is no coffee, that’s the only food you will get for breakfast,” she said.
With only small portions of meals distributed to a prisoner, one can really suffer from hunger if you do not have a family or friends who will give you food, said Cabusao.
Cabusao said political prisoners are lucky that supportive individuals and their families provide them food.
Freedom for her
While singing the Philippines national anthem during the opening of the women’s summit, Cabusao said she remembered how detainees like her sang the national anthem inside the jail.
“When we were singing the national anthem inside the prison, we sing it with a heavy heart because we are in detention,” Cabusao said.
She said she was moved to tears that now she can sing the national anthem outside the prison.
“Maganda pala talagang kantahin ang ating pambansang awit sa piling ng nakikibakang sambayanan (It is really good to sing the national anthem together with the struggling Filipino people),” said Cabusao.
She said they are hopeful that under the Duterte administration, which promised to bring change on the lives of the Filipinos, those who were jailed because of working for the people’s movement will claim freedom.
“All of us are working in the people’s movement when we were arrested. We were working for change and that was the reason why we were arrested,” she said. (davaotoday.com)
