Philippines: 43 community health workers arrested
Event- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 6, 2010
- Event Description
6 February 2010 (6:15am) A group of around 300 heavily armed policemen and soldiers arrested 43 community health workers when they were taking part in a training on community health service in the farmhouse of Dr. Melecia Velmonte in Morong, Rizal province, east of Manila. According to reports, the military also sent 8 military trucks, 2 armored personnel carriers to assist the arrest. The Philippine Army later claimed that this was intended to ensure the security of the raiding team. Some of the vehicles had no plate numbers, while the rest of license plates were covered or smeared with mud. There was no warrant presented for their arrest. They showed a warrant after handcuffing all the health workers. However, the warrant was dated 5 February 2010 and did not indicate the address of Dr. Melecia Velmonte's compound. The subject of the warrant, Mr. Mario Condes, also had no connection with the compound itself. Rizal Provincial Police Chief Jonathan Miano claimed that three handguns, three grenades and six homemade bombs were found in the raid. However, Mr. Bob Velmonte, the son of Dr. Melecia Velmonte, said that they were not issued a receipt of the inventory of those firearms and explosives. The illegal search of the compound started from 6:15am to around 9:00am Around 9:00 am, after the arrest, the male health workers were loaded onto military trucks while female health workers were forced into cars and vans. They were then brought to Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal. All of them were handcuffed and blindfolded. They were reportedly confined in dark cells, forced to listen to sounds of gunfire, then forced to admit that they were members of the NPA. Dr. Geneve Rivera, Secretary-General of Health Alliance for Democracy (HEAD), also reported that the detainees were not allowed to speak to each other and were slapped several times every night. 8 February 2010 Ms. Leila De Lima, the Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission was allowed to visit the 43 detainees. Relatives of 8 detainees were also allowed to enter the camp. However, they were allowed to talk to the detainees for only 30 minutes each and were unable to talk freely because they were watched closely by soldiers. According to Ms. Leila De Lima, detainees were continuously handcuffed and blindfolded. They were neither allowed to sleep, nor feed themselves. Whenever the detainees used the bathroom, someone else was there to take off their underwear for them. One of the detainees, Dr. Alex Montes, whom the military has accused of being a member of the New People's Army (NPA), was electrocuted and repeatedly hit on the chest while being questioned. 11 February 2010 One of the detainees, Dr. Merry Mia (female) said that she was taunted by the interrogators, who asked her whether she had cured the ringworm of Mr. Gregorio Rosal aka Ka Roger, the spokesperson of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). The interrogators also threatened to harm her family. Government prosecutors charged 43 detainees for illegal possession of firearms and explosives before the Morong, Rizal Regional Trial Court. State Prosecutor Romeo Senson, the inquest prosecutor of the case against the suspects, did not recommend bail. The 43 detainees were allowed to meet lawyers. Eight lawyers from the National Union of the People's Lawyers and the Public Interest Law Center were allowed entry to the detention facility at Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal. They were assisted by the Commission on Human Rights officials led by its chairperson Ms. Leila de Lima. The Supreme Court granted a petition for habeas corpus, ordering the military to present the 43 detainees at the Court of Appeals and answer allegations of torture, evidence-planting and illegal arrest and detention. The hearing was scheduled for 12 February 2010. Maj. Gen. Jorge Segovia commander of the 2nd Infantry Division that has custody of the suspects, said that Mr. Valentine Paolino, one member of the group admitted he was a rebel and was relieved he was arrested so he could return to civilian life. 12 February 2010 The military and the police failed to present on 43 health workers to the Court of Appeals. According to an interview with Dr. Darby S. Santiago, the Chairperson of Health Alliance for Democracy (HEAD), Mr. Valentine Paolino went missing. 13 February 2010 One of the detainees, 27-year-old Ms. Jane Balleta, told her mother, Ms. Ofelia Beltran-Balleta, who visited her at the military camp that she and certain female health workers were sexually molested by the military captors. 14 February 2010 The Armed Forces claimed that the NPA was planning to rescue the 43 detainees. Therefore, they were not able to present the 43 detainees at the Court of Appeals on 12 February 2010. Ms. Leila De Lima confirmed that there was use by the military of mental and psychological torture on 26 women and 17 men. 15 February 2010 The military brought the 43 detainees to the court of appeals on a military bus that was escorted by dozens of soldiers in battle gear. Each of the detainees was handcuffed. The military denied the allegations that the female detainees were sexually harassed and molested by the soldiers. It claimed that the allegation was "purely propaganda" aimed at discrediting its operation. Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr., spokesperson of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said the detainees were being treated well. Female soldiers keep watch over female detainees while male soldiers are assigned solely to guard male detainees. 16 February 2010 A military spokesman said that at least one of the 43 health workers is willing to turn state witness and reveal that the group had ties with the New People's Army. 17 February 2010 The Court of Appeals is scheduled to rule on the legality of the arrests of the 43 health workers. Dr. Geneve Rivera, Secretary-General of Health Alliance for Democracy (HEAD) said she was barred from entering Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal to assist in the completion of the affidavits of the health workers. Updated information (As of 26 March 2010) 12 Feb 2010 Philippine military officials presented one of the 43 health workers, Mr. Valentin Paulino, at a press conference in Tanay, Rizal. He confessed that he and the other health workers were members of the New People's Army (NPA). However, Karapatan Secretary General Ms. Lovella de Castro remarked that Mr. Valentine Paulino underwent severe physical and psychological torture to coerce him to implicate himself and the other health workers. 18 Feb 2010 Director General Jesus Verzosa, Philippines National Police (PNP) chief said that the PNP welcomes the 43 health workers to be transferred into their custody, instead of the military custody. 1 March 2010 Ms. Adoracion Paulino, mother of Mr. Valentin Paulino said the military offered her P50,000 (S$1,520) and a job in exchange for her son's confession. Three of the 43 health workers, Ms. Ellen Carandang, Ms. Sherilyn Tawagon and Mr. Valentin Paulino were reportedly taken from their detention cells in Camp Capinpin in Tanay and transferred to an unknown location. Neither the relatives nor lawyers of the three health workers were informed that they would be transferred to another detention facility. Before they were separated from the others the three women allegedly admitted in a counter-affidavit that they were New People's Army rebels and denied allegations that they were sexually and physically abused while in detention. The relatives of the detained 43 health workers told the media in a press conference that the detainees were still suffering from physical and psychological torture. 2 March 2010 Military admitted to has offered P50,000 to members of the 43 health detainees. However, it denied that the money was a bribe in exchange for the detainees' confession of their involvement in the communist movement. Instead, the money was an offer of financial assistance under the government's social integration program (SIP) for rebel returnees. 3 March 2010 The Court of Appeals could not reach an unanimous vote in deciding the petition for Habeas Corpus for the 43 detained health workers, so it included two more justices - Associate Justices Magdangal De Leon and Sesinando Villon -to the panel assigned to the case. 4 March 2010 Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr. of the Armed Forces' public information office said Armed Forces chief Gen. Victor Ibrado recommended the transfer of 43 detained health workers to the custody of the Philippine National Police (PNP). Such tansfer will be done as soon as they have made proper coordination with the PNP. 10 March 2010 The Court of Appeals decided to dismiss the petition for habeas corpus filed on behalf of the 43 health workers. 17 March 2010 Two more members of the 43 heath detainess, Ms. Jennilyn Pizarro and Mr. John Mark Barrientos were taken out of a military camp in Rizal and later transferred to an unidentified location. 18 March 2010 The military on refused to present before the Human Rights Commission the 43 health workers before the hearing organized by Commission of Human Rights (CHR)chairperson Ms. Leila De Lima. The military cited legal conflict with the court handling the criminal case against the group. During the CHR hearing, Colonel Aurelio Balabad of the 202nd Infantry Brigade told the CHR that the arrest of 43 health workers was mainly a police operation. His unit was in the area in order to provide support. The Philippines National Police refuted claims by an Army official that the arrest of 43 health workers was a police operation. 19 March 2010 Five members of 43 health workers, Ms. Elenor Carandang, Ms. Cherilyn Tawagon, Mr. Valentino Paulino, Ms. Jenilyn Pizarro and Mr. John Mark Barrientos, allegedly admitted that they are members of the New People's Army (NPA). They also allegedly agreed to testify against the other "health workers" in detention for supposedly undergoing bomb-making training. However, The rights group Karapatan claimed that the 5 suspects were tortured. 20 March 2010 Health Secretary Ms. Esperanza Cabral reported that the 43 health workers are being treated relatively well. However, they appeared to be in mental anguish over their plight. 22 March 2010 According to lawyers, other detainees, and their own relatives, Ms. Elenor Carandang, Ms. Cherilyn Tawagon, Mr. Valentino Paulino, Ms. Jenilyn Pizarro and Mr. John Mark Barrientos were subjected to interrogation and pressure. Updated Information (As of 7 June 2010) 7 April 2010 The Regional Trial Court ordered the transfer of 38 of 43 detained health workers to the custody of the Philippine National Police (PNP). 9 April 2010 The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) failed to transfer 38 of the 43 detained health workers to police custody as instructed by the court. The AFP claimed that there were pending security preparations and a solution to the problem of an already overcrowded detention center. 12 April 2010 The Armed Force of Philippines refused to present the 43 health workers in Commission of Human Rights (CHR) hearings. Representatives of the Judge Advocate General Office (JAGO) also questioned the jurisdiction of the Commission of Human Rights. 23 May 2010 Ms. Marie Enriquez, secretary-general of Karapatan reported that members of 43 health workers were finally transferred to Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan.
- Impact of Event
- 43
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention
- Torture
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Event Location
Latitude: 14.58333
Longitude: 120.96667
- Event Location
- Summary for Publications
The Morong 43 is a group of 43 health workers in the Philippines accused to cooperate with New People's Army. They were arrested on 6 February 2011. Initially subjected to ill-treatment including physical and psychological torture while in military custody, and legal challenges resulted in a majority of the health workers eventually being transferred to the civilian police custody where they remained in detention for over 10 months. They were finally released by order of the newly elected President Benigno Aquino III in December 2010 following a nation-wide campaign and international pressure. Several detainees have filed complaints with the national Commission on Human Rights alleging torture and ill-treatment.