Dr. Alex Montes complained of chest pains but he was attended to only a day later. He was not told of the military doctor’s prognosis. Glenda Murillo, another detainee, complained of bleeding while she was being interrogated on the first day of their detention. Murillo has reasons to believe she is pregnant, said Dr. Geneve Rivera, president of Health Alliance for Democracy (HEAD). But the military had her bleeding checked only on the third day. They told her she was not pregnant, but they did not show Glenda the results of tests done on her. “We heard Glenda has blacked out the other day,” said Dr. Rivera.
Under the Anti-Torture Act, “Any person arrested or detained or under custodial investigation shall be allowed visits by or conferences with any member of his immediate family, or any medical doctor or priest or religious minister chosen by him or by any member of his immediate family or by his counsel.”
These provisions, meant to recognize both the needs and the rights of the detained health workers, are being violated on a daily basis, said Dr. Julie Caguiat.
Psychological Torture to Force Health Workers to Admit to Being NPA
It takes most relatives of the health workers two hours or more just to travel to Camp Capinpin. Upon arriving, they have to log in three times, first at the gates of the camp, second at the waiting area, third at the holding area.
Each detained health workers has a guard who is constantly walking by whenever they were with their visitors, the relatives told Bulatlat. A CCTV was even installed at the holding area where they see their detained relatives.
Visiting time varies from five minutes to 30 minutes depending on the mood of the military, relatives said. After repeatedly coming back to Camp Capinpin, they also noticed that once they get to know some of soldiers, especially where they would log in their names, the soldiers are changed.
Vincent Paulino was presented by the AFP to the media as an alleged NPA guerrilla. (Photo by Raymund B. Villanueva/bulatlat.com)
The detainees themselves are constantly being reshuffled from one jail to another, where some cells can accommodate two to eight detainees. Some detainees, like Angela Doloricon, Vincent Paulino and Dr. Alex Montes, are reportedly still in solitary confinement.
Relatives told Bulatlat that the military disallows them from bringing in newspapers or any source of updates to the detainees.
Dr. Rivera said they received reports of various threats to the detainees’ life and their family. “They were told that if they admitted to being NPA guerrillas, they will not be desaparecidos (victims of enforced disappearances),” she said. To this day, some of the detainees are being taken out for prolonged or intermittent interrogation, Dr. Rivera said.
The following are some of what the detainees managed to share to their families despite the soldiers guarding them, according to Dr. Rivera:
One was forced to ride a van and threatened to be “salvaged” (euphemism for extrajudicial execution). Another was threatened of being “roasted” or “rotting in jail” and being charged with numerous cases. One was threatened to be brought “straight to their makeshift grave” or to the “backhoe” (referring to the backhoe used to dig the graves for the victims of the Ampatuan massacre). Another was told that “later tonight you’d be fertilizing the earth” or “hanged.”
Others were told, “If you do not admit to being an NPA, you will not see your family again, you will be killed by a “firing squad” or “fed to K-9” (referring to K-9 dogs). The soldiers threatened bodily harm as well. “You may no longer be able to see again,” one of them told a detainee. A soldier commanded another to “bring that (detainee) to the bamboo plantation.” Some were told that they were going to be buried alive or thrown into the garbage. One was made to hear a sound of something being sharpened. “We will cause the arrest of your mother and father,” a soldier threatened a detainee.
From the descriptions of the detainees, doctors deduced that the military may have also electrocuted some of the detainees, as well as used chemical and pharmacological torture on them.
Worrying Impact to CBHPs Nationwide
With their continued illegal detention and torture, the 43 health workers and their relatives are not the only victims. Sister Edith Eslapor, head of CHD’s board of trustees, discussed the negative impact of what the military is doing to health services and to the other community-based health workers nationwide.
“It sends a bad signal, gives the military the license to harass community health workers,” Sister Editha told reporters. “It will adversely impact the already deteriorating delivery of health services in the country,” said Dr. Rivera, as health professionals become fearful of joining medical missions to underserved areas while those who try to become health workers despite their poverty and lack of education are being taunted and harassed.
“Hence, we demand that the rights of the 43 detained health workers be recognized,” said Dr. Caguiat. “We demand an immediate end to torture.” (Bulatlat.com)
Certainly, Commander-in-chief Gloria Arroyo is happy that her tall orders are obeyed and speedily carried out by those in the rank-and-file who are happy also for the promotions they will surely get, inspired by the accomplishment of Gen. Jovito Palparan. And that is while those who really serve the people are deprived of their basic rights (for many already, even the right to life) and those who love them lament. How can those who could prevent or help in stopping it, like the Roman Catholic Church and its El Shaddai, Makati Business Club, Jesus is Lord Movement, etc. remain in silent and almost do nothing about it? You have the clout. You have the influence. Is it because it's not your interests which are at stake? But that's human dignity. That is God-given life. Where's your faith? While those unceremonious public servants are losing their dignity and life, you might be losing your souls in the process. May God help our nation!