In a gesture of unwavering resolve, political prisoners at the National Bilibid Prison joined their fellow inmates in various jails across the nation in singing “Bayan Ko” last Monday, July 20.
The collective singing at the country’s main penitentiary in Muntinlupa was accompanied by the pealing of church bells.
At least 12 detention facilities in the National Capital Region, in Eastern Visayas, Negros, Bohol, Caraga, and Southern Mindanao regions participated in the event to kick off various protest actions against President Aquino’s last State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday.
‘Bayan Ko,’ a popular nationalistic song written by Jose Corazon de Jesus, was banned from airing after President Marcos imposed Martial Law in 1972.
“We want to underscore the government’s continued denial of the existence of at least 537 political prisoners in the country. The BS Aquino confidently lies about them because the regime has criminalized and demonized the political prisoners by manufacturing criminal charges against them,” said Cristina Palabay, Karapatan secretary general.
Most of the political prisoners are charged with non-bailable offense such as illegal possession of explosives by “planting” evidences during their arrest.
As in previous activities conducted by political prisoners, more than 400 inmates joined to highlight the call to release all political prisoners and to improve jail conditions. Relatives and friends, and members of people’s organizations also held similar activities outside the jails.
On Monday, the political prisoners will hold discussions with inmates to speak on the real state of the nation and how Aquino’s ‘Tuwid na Daan’ has always served the elite classes, not the ordinary people.
Also, an art exhibit dubbed as Portrayal: Faces of Freedom, featuring around 50 portraits of political prisoners made by various renowned artists, will be opened to the public on July 24-25 at the Maximillian Gallery in Tomas Morato, Quezon City.
