From the December 21 edition of Ang Bayan: Political detainees go on hunger strike
Political detainees in Metro Manila and other regions staged a hunger strike from December 3 to December 10, International Human Rights Day. In a related development, the Samahan ng Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto (SELDA) assailed the growing number of political detainees, the relentless filing of trumped-up charges and the brutal treatment of persons branded as enemies of the state. The hunger strikers demanded the immediate release of Ramon Patriarca or his transfer to a regular civilian detention center. Patriarca continues to be held at a military stockade of the AFP-Central Command in Camp Lapu-Lapu in Lahug, Cebu City despite a court ruling ordering that he be remanded to a civilian facility.
SELDA condemned the AFP’s dirty tactics in identifying targets for arrest and detention. It cited the case of Rolly Panesa, a security guard who the military claims is “Benjamin Mendoza,” allegedly a ranking Communist Party official in Southern Tagalog. Just because of a mole on his nape, Panesa was captured, tortured and imprisoned. His captors have collected the P5.6 million reward for “Mendoza’s” capture. Mass leaders and human rights advocates continue to be slapped with trumped-up cases. The latest victims of this dirty tactic are Roy Velez of BAYAN-NCR and Amelita Gamara of KMU-NCR.
http://www.philippinerevolution.net/publications/ang_bayan/20121221/political-detainees-go-on-hunger-strike
Key point: Since the ideological split that took place within the CPP beginning in the early 1990s, organizations like SELDA are not likely to be favorably mentioned in CPP publications unless they are ideologically compatible groups, i.e. front organizations. SELDA is front comprised of former political detainees. BAYAN is a umbrella front organization and KMU is a labor front. KMU is a member organization of BAYAN.
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