Statement of the Alliance for People's Health: International Condemnation of Philippine military and police action against health workers in Rizal, Philippines

Date: 
16 Feb 2010

February 9, 2010

Ambassador Brilliantes
130 Albert Street, Suite 606
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
K1P 5G4

Dear Ambassador Brillantes,

We are writing to condemn the action of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police at 6:15am February 6th, 2010, when they forcibly detained medical doctors, nurses, and community health workers (CHWs) in Rizal, Philippines during their health skills training-seminar in the house of Dr. Melecia Velmonte.

Health workers who extend their volunteer services to under-served regions are essential to the health and well-being of regular Filipinos who live in these areas. Their service and advocacy work for the community is vital when virtually no other health infrastructure exists.

We condemn the false accusations against these health workers as being “enemies of the state” for advocating for communities living in poverty and see this harassment as part of the ongoing list of human rights violations against health workers and community-based health practitioners that serve the most impoverished regions in the Philippines.

As health professionals, researchers, students, and concerned community members, we join the call for the 2nd Infantry Division of the Philippine Army and the Rizal Philippine National Police to immediately and unconditionally release the abducted health care workers and stop the labeling, harassment and intimidation of progressive organizations and individuals engaged in grassroots health work and advocating for social justice in the Philippines.

We call for the immediate release of all health workers who are illegally arrested and illegally detained at Camp Capinpin, Tanay, Rizal, including but not limited to:

  • Dr. Merry Mia, Health Education and Training Services
  • coordinator for Council for Health and Development (CHD)
  • Dr. Alexis Montes
  • Gary Liberal, Registered Nurse (Jose Reyes Medical Memorial Center)
  • Teresa Quinawayan, Midwife
  • Lydia Ubera, health worker
  • Reynaldo Makabenta, health worker
  • Delia Ocasla, health worker
  • Jane Balleta, health worker
  • Janice Javier, health worker
  • Franco Remoroso, health worker
  • Ailene Monasteryo, health worker
  • Pearl Irene Martinez, health worker
  • Elen Carandang, health worker
  • Dany Panero, health worker
  • Rayom Among, health worker
  • Emily Marquez, health worker

We ask that the Philippine government ensure the safety of all victims, that they are not harmed and that their belongings are returned immediately to them. We call for an immediate formation of an independent fact-finding and investigation team composed of representatives from human rights groups, the Church, local government, and the Commission on Human Rights that will look into raid and illegal arrest of the health workers.

As a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and a party to all the major Human Rights instruments, the Philippine Government is bound to observe all human rights provisions

We ask that you please address this matter to the appropriate authorities on our behalf.

Sincerely,

Martha Roberts, Registered Midwife, Vancouver, Canada
Azar Mehrabadi, PhD student, School of Population and Public Health,
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
Yuly Chan, Kinesiology student, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada
David Henry, Alliance for People’s Health, Vancouver, Canada
Jerry Spiegel, Associate Professor, School of Population and Public
Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada