Two Dumagat political prisoners walked free on May 9 from nearly eight years of detention after the court dismissed the charges of murder and illegal possession of firearms and explosives filed against them. Rocky Torres and Abelardo “Dandoy” Avellaneda were arrested and jailed by the military on May 14, 2018 in Quezon.
Torres and Avellaneda were arrested in Barangay Umiray, General Nakar following an alleged military encounter with the New People’s Army. State forces accused them of being members of the people’s army and subjected them to torture and coercion to force confessions before filing criminal charges.
Human rights groups were only able to access them days after their detention and found their bodies covered with bruises and signs of physical abuse while they were held at Camp Guillermo Nakar in Lucena City.
The two were transferred to Camp Bagong Diwa where they were detained for a long time, worsening their health conditions, including pulmonary tuberculosis.
Katribu Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas (Tribefolks Alliance of Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines) welcomed the court’s decision and the release of the two Dumagats from illegal detention. The group held a gathering on May 14 in Quezon City to welcome the release of Torres and Avellaneda.
They also recalled nearly eight years of struggle and calls to free the two and attain justice. According to Katribu, the release is a significant victory against political repression and the criminalization of Indigenous peoples and rights defenders.
“These successive legal victories prove that truth and justice prevail despite relentless attacks against Indigenous peoples and those struggling for ancestral land, rights, and self-determination,” Katribu secretary general Funa-ay Claver said. However, Claver said justice remains incomplete until those responsible for their arrest, torture, and detention are held accountable.
Claver emphasized that Torres and Avellaneda should never have been arrested and imprisoned for such a long time. “No court decision can restore the years stolen from them, the suffering they endured, and the time lost with their loved ones,” Claver said.
Torres and Avellaneda thanked all who tirelessly supported them until their release. “I am deeply grateful to everyone who helped us, to those who exposed the injustice. I hope our gratitude reaches them,” Avellaneda said.
At the end of Katribu’s gathering, Torres and Avellaneda and their families went to the office of the Commission on Human Rights. They plan to file complaints against the military forces that arrested, tortured, and detained them.
“We will continue our struggle until justice is achieved and the democratic rights and aspirations of the oppressed Filipino people are upheld,” Claver said.
