Release of eight Cordillera political prisoners pushed

One freed by Baguio court  

BAGUIO CITY – The Duterte government was urged by a militant group to release seven political prisoners in the Cordillera even they welcomed the release of one earlier detained at a court in this summer capital.

           The Cordillera Peoples Alliance said it welcomed the temporary freedom and dismissal of one case of Kennedy Bangibang, National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) consultant on Cordillera affairs on August 15 by Judge Rasing of the Regional Trial Court 3 of Baguio City

The CPA said it hoped the release of Bangibang would allow him to join the peace talks (between the government and NDFP) and highlight substantive socio economic and cultural aspirations of the indigenous peoples in the Cordillera.

“We believe that his (Bangibang) solid grounding on the historical and current plights and issues of the indigenous peoples in the region will put more concrete recommendations for the proposed Comprehensive Agreement on Socio Economic Reforms (CASER).

Abigail Anongos, CPA secretary general said Bangibang was arrested on February 13, 2013 in Buguias, Benguet and was charged with multiple “trumped up” charges in Kalinga.

Before his temporary release, Bangibang was one of nine political prisoners in the region.

The CPA said all of them were charged with “multiple fabricated cases” in Ifugao, Mt. Province; Abra and Kalinga.

Among them was Esteban Eduardo, an elderly suffering from hypertension who is now currently detained in Bontoc, Mt. Province after his cases were dismissed in Bangued, Abra.

“Aside from Bangibang, we reiterate our call for the immediate release of the 8 political prisoners in the region and end their suffering from crimes they did not commit. Their families and communities are waiting for them,” the CPA said.

 Lastly, we also urge President Rodrigo Duterte and the NDFP to resume the peace talks and address the roots of the armed conflict.