Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran extended his full gratitude to the international delegates and leadership of the 115th Assembly of the Interparliamentary Union (IPU) for unanimously approving the resolution calling for his immediate release. The IPU congress is being held in Geneva, Switzerland, and among the delegates are Bayan Muna Reps. Satur Ocampo and Teddy Casino. Ocampo and Casino facilitated moves to circulate the resolution calling on the Macacpagal-Arroyo government to immediately release Beltran and the resolution garnered the support of the IPU delegates.
The IPU said it “Remains deeply concerned at the continuing detention of Mr. Beltran, which it fears is arbitrary; and calls once again on the authorities to release him forthwith or at the very least to transfer him to the custody of the House of Representatives.”
It also said it was “puzzled at the notion of a continuing crime, which entails serious consequences such as arrest without warrant.” The continuing crime doctrine is being invoked by the Philippine National Police and Department of Justice to justify the seven-month detention of Rep. Beltran.
“It feels most assuring and heartwarming to know that I have the support not only of my colleagues in the legislative houses here in the Philippines, but also the support of colleagues and fellow progressive lawmakers in other countries. Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo should realize that the campaign of political repression she launched against progressive lawmakers such as myself and other leaders of the opposition do not go unnoticed. The more she stubbornly insists on keeping me under illegal detention and under fabricated charges, the greater the pressure will be on her to resign: the international community has given its attention to what is happening in the Philippines, and they more than understand the demand for her to step down,” he said.
Beltran also thanked Reps. Ocampo and Casino for bringing the issue of his incarceration to the IPU.
The veteran labor leader turned activist legislator also said that for the meantime, he is seeking the full support of his colleagues in Congress and call on Speaker Jose de Venecia to allow his transfer from the Philippine Heart Center to the House of Representatives. He said that it was not so much his own physical limitations caused by age that is making his health deteriorate, ‘It’s actually being cooped up in the hospital under 24-7 monitoring of the CIDG and the Department of Justice. The tedium of being detained is what’s making my health condition worse, that and hearing about the continued attacks of the Macapagal-Arroyo government on the political, civil and human rights of the Filipino people,” he said.
Beltran said that he wants to be in Congress before session resumes in November. He said that it’s clear that the govenrment does not having concrete to substantiate its charges of rebellion against him, and that it’s only keeping him detained out of pique and refusal to admit that it was illegal to arrest him in the first place.
“The government has no case against me. I should be released at the soonest possible time; and I expect this government to stop fabricating more accusations and allegations against me and allow me to do my job as a legislator of the poor and marginalized sectors,” he concluded.#
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Thursday, July 06, 2006
*Swiss parliamentarians question Beltran's imprisonment
Swiss parliamentarians have asked the Federal Council to consider diplomatic action towards the Arroyo administration's continuing imprisonment of Anakpawis (Toiling Masses) Representative Crispin Beltran.
Swiss MP Liliane Maury Pasquier, in her June 22, 2006 interpellation ('Serious Attacks on Democracy in the Philippines') has expressed concern over Beltran's plight, stressing that the 73-year old solon's arrest "clearly violates the International Convention on the Civil laws and Political and the Declaration of the Human rights of the United Nations ".
She also requested the Federal Council to take "diplomatic action" on the issue of Beltran's release.
"Doesn't the Federal Council think one diplomatic action, which could take the form of a request for release, is absolutely necessary vis-a-vis this violent infringement of the principles of democratic and human rights?" Maury Pasquer said in the excerpt of the interpellation sent to Cong. Beltran's office (text roughly translated into English from French).
"Doesn't it think that a democratic State like Switzerland would have, of agreement with the other countries and within the international organizations like the very new Council of the human rights, to engage so that the situation of the deputy Crispin Beltran improves as fast as possible and so that Philippines respects the democratic rights of their members of Parliament in particular and of the population in general?" Maury Pasquer continued.
"As a State defender of the human rights and democratic system, Switzerland must really engage these causes. If many members of Parliament of the whole world expressed their concern by letters addressed to the Filipino government, an official reaction of one or several States is necessary to show that this established fact is unacceptable," she concluded. Maury Pasquier also filed a resolution raising the issue of human rights in the Philippines at the Swiss Parliament signed by 24 other MPs. It is still pending before the Federal Council. Those who signed the resolution are Didier Berberat, Free Cavalli, Andre Daguet, Marlyse Dormond Béguelin , Jacqueline Fehr, Valerie Garbani, Vreni Hubmann, Francine John-Calame, Margret Kiener Nellen, Ueli Leuenberger, Susanne Leutenegger Oberholzer, Anne-Catherine Menétrey-Savary, Roger Nordmann, Fabio Pedrina, Rey Jean-Christmas, Stephan Rossini, Maria Roth-Bernasconi, Pierre Salvi, Geraldine Savary, Carlo Sommaruga, Pierre Vanek, Ruth-Gaby Vermot-Mangold, Hans Widmer, and Ursula Wyss.###
*Cong. Crispin Beltran is confined under police custody at the Philippine Heart Center in Quezon City. Today is the 131st day of his arbitrary detention by the Arroyo administration.
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InterpellationTexte déposé
Aux Philippines, le député du parti d'opposition « Anakpawis », Crispin Beltran, âgé de 73 ans, a été arrêté le 25 février 2006. Il est emprisonné depuis à cause de ses idées politiques. Inquiète de cette situation qui met en danger la démocratie, je prie le Conseil Fédéral de répondre aux questions suivantes :
- Le Conseil Fédéral ne pense-t-il pas qu'une action diplomatique, qui pourrait prendre la forme d'une demande de libération, est absolument nécessaire face à cette atteinte violente aux principes démocratique et aux droits humains ?
- Ne pense-t-il pas qu'un État démocratique comme la Suisse devrait, d'entente avec les autres pays et au sein des organisations internationales comme le tout nouveau Conseil des droits de l'homme, s'engager pour que la situation du député Crispin Beltran s'améliore au plus vite et pour que les Philippines respectent les droits démocratiques de leurs parlementaires en particulier et de la population en général ?
Développement
L'arrestation de M. Beltran est officiellement basée sur un mandat d'arrêt vieux de 21 ans et qui date donc de l'ère Marcos. Son cas a pourtant été réglé par une amnistie en 1988 par le président Aquino, car le mandat d'arrêt était uniquement motivé par des raisons politiques de lutte contre des dissidents. Face à la faiblesse de ses arguments, le gouvernement philippin a maintenant ajouté des accusations qui se basent sur des preuves incertaines et juridiquement contestables. Ainsi, il semble que M. Beltran n'a pas de chance d'être libéré prochainement.
Pourtant, M. Beltran n'a jamais appelé à des actes violents contre la présidente Arroyo, mais a seulement demandé la démission de cette dernière pour les fraudes commises pendant les élections 2004 et les violations massives des droits humains.
L'arrestation de M. Beltran viole clairement la Convention Internationale sur les Droits Civils et Politiques et la Déclaration des Droits de l'Homme des Nations Unies. Lui-même s'est d'ailleurs plaint auprès du groupe de travail onusien qui s'occupe de la détention arbitraire à New York et auprès de l'Union Interparlementaire à Genève.
La détention de M. Beltran s'inscrit dans le cadre d'autres mesures contraires aux droits démocratiques : mise en résidence surveillée d'autres parlementaires de partis d'opposition, menaces répétées envers les politiciennes et politiciens de ces partis sans même parler d'assassinats de membres de ces partis.
En tant qu'État défenseur des droits humains et du système démocratique, la Suisse doit s'engager réellement pour ces causes. Si de nombreux parlementaires du monde entier ont exprimé leurs préoccupations par des lettres adressées au gouvernement philippin, une réaction officielle d'un ou de plusieurs États est nécessaire pour démontrer que cet état de faits est inacceptable. Dans cette affaire, le régime philippin n'attaque pas seulement les libertés civiles et les droits humains mais en plus les principes de la démocratie représentative. Il empêche de travailler des parlementaires légalement élus par le peuple philippin et qui doivent pouvoir le représenter. Cela est d'autant plus frappant que les politiciennes et politiciens concernés s'engagent pour la défense des minorités, qui sont d'ores et déjà menacées par le régime actuel.
(Rough translation from French to English)
In Philippines, the deputy of the party of opposition "Anakpawis", Crispin Beltran, 73 years old, was stopped on February 25, 2006. He is imprisoned since because of his political ideas. Anxious of this situation which endangers the democracy, I request the Federal Council to answer the following questions:
- Doesn't the Federal Council think one diplomatic action, which could take the form of a request for release, is absolutely necessary vis-a-vis this violent infringement of the principles of democratic and the human rights?
- Doesn't it think that a democratic State like Switzerland would have, of agreement with the other countries and within the international organizations like the very new Council of the human rights, to engage so that the situation of the deputy Crispin Beltran improves as fast as possible and so that Philippines respects the democratic rights of their members of Parliament in particular and of the population in general?
Development
The arrest of Mr. Beltran is officially based on 21 years an old warrant for arrest and which thus dates from the Marcos era. Its case was however regulated by an amnesty in 1988 by president Aquino, because the warrant for arrest was only justified by political reasons of fight counters dissidents. Vis-a-vis the weakness of its arguments, the Filipino government now added charges which are based on dubious and juridically contestable evidence. Thus, it seems that Mr. Beltran does not have a chance to be released soon.
However, Mr. Beltran destined forever for acts violent one against the president Arroyo, but asked only for the resignation of the latter for the fraud during the elections 2004 and the massive violations of human rights. The arrest of Mr. Beltran clearly violates the International Convention on the Civil laws and Political and the Declaration of the Human rights of the United Nations. Itself complained besides near the U.N. working group which deals with arbitrary detention in New York and near the Interparliamentary Union in Geneva.
The detention of Mr. Beltran lies within the scope of other contrary measurements to the democratic rights: setting under house arrest of other members of Parliament of parties of opposition, threats repeated towards the politicking ones and politicians of these parties without same speech of assassinations of members of these parties.
As a State defender of the human rights and democratic system, Switzerland must really engage these causes. If many members of Parliament of the whole world expressed their concern by letters addressed to the Filipino government, an official reaction of one or several States is necessary to show that this established fact is unacceptable. In this business, the Filipino mode does not tackle only civil freedoms and the human rights but in more the principles of the representative democracy. It prevents from working of the members of Parliament legally elected by the Filipino people and who must be able to represent it. That is all the more striking that the politicking ones and politicians concerned engage for defense of the minorities, which are threatened right now by the current mode.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
*Judge Moya adhering to DOJ, Gonzales’ pressuring on Beltran’s case
The militant labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) today condemned Judge Encarnacion Jaja Moya for issuing a court order finding probable cause to the rebellion charges filed against KMU Chairman Emeritus and Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran.
“With the issuance of this order, we now have valid reasons to believe that Judge Moya is a Raul Gonzales' dummy at the
Moya earned the ire of workers and Beltran’s supporters after she issued a one-page order yesterday stating that the “Court finds probable reason to believe that Beltran, together with his co-accused Lt. Lawrence San Juan committed the crime charged.”
“The one-page order released does not even contain sufficient basis and explanation for Moya’s order. With the release of this nonsense order, we cannot help but to ask how much did Moya received to issue this order that further implicates Ka Bel to the fabricated rebellion charges filed against him by the government.
“DOJ and Gonzales forced Judge Jenny Lind Delorino to inhibit on Beltran’s case so Moya can take over and implement all of Gonzales’ bidding to further persecute Ka Bel,” the labor leader said.
Maglunsod asked, “Magkano kaya ang ibinayad ng gobyernong Arroyo kay Judge Moya para maging sunud-sunuran sa lahat ng layaw at dikta ng Department of Justice at ni Gonzales.”
“Blind justice persecutes those who are innocent and condones the real criminals and offenders. As far as workers are concerned, Ka Bel is innocent on the rebellion charges filed against him. He is only advocating the cause and interests of workers and takes to heart his duty to serve the Filipino people as a duly elected member of the House of Representatives.”
The labor group staged a support picket for Beltran at the Philippine Heart Center in
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