"We see a repeat of Andrea Rosal in this case, thus we demand the immediate release of Maria Miradel Torres, three months pregnant, arrested without warrant by the joint elements of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and Southern Luzon Command in Brgy. Ilayang Iyam, Lucena City, Quezon Province,” said Karapatan Chairperson Marie Hilao-Enriquez.
"We see a repeat of Andrea Rosal in this case, thus we demand the immediate release of Maria Miradel Torres, three months pregnant, arrested without warrant by the joint elements of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and Southern Luzon Command in Brgy. Ilayang Iyam, Lucena City, Quezon Province,” said Karapatan Chairperson Marie Hilao-Enriquez.
Torres is in critical condition. Despite threatened abortion, the military hastily transferred her from Camp Nakar in Quezon to the female dorm in Camp Bagong Diwa at dawn of June 25. “We have yet to see the Court’s Commitment Order on this transfer,” she added.
Torres was seeking medical assistance because of profuse bleeding that has been going on for a week when the military and the CIDG elements enforced a warrantless arrest on June 20 and brought her to Camp General Nakar Station Hospital. Torres’ relatives found her there two days after her arrest. On June 23, jail authorities refused Torres’ mother to visit her; and denied the relatives’ request to be at Torres’ bedside to assist her on her personal needs.
Hilao-Enriquez said the arrest of another pregnant woman is the same act of barbarism (kahayupan) used by the BS Aquino government when it arrested Andrea Rosal. The government’s inhumane treatment of Torres, Hilao-Enriquez said, violated national and international laws and instruments on the treatment of prisoners.
She cited, among others, the Philippine Constitution, the Anti-Torture Law; and international instruments such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, The Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, and the Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-Custodial Measures for Women Offenders.
"Hindi pa nakuntento ang gobyernong Aquino sa pagkulong kay Andrea Rosal at nanghuli pa uli ng dinudugong buntis," (The BS Aquino government isn’t contented with the imprisonment of Andrea Rosal, it has to arrest another bleeding pregnant woman).
On June 20, when Miradel Torres was supposedly arrested, elements of the CIDG and Southern Luzon Command went inside the house where Torres was, looking for a certain "Alex" and "Sydney." A woman searched Torres’ bag and took her cellular phone. One of the CIDG men came up to Torres and accused her of being "Alex" and "Sydney" and that she was under arrest. Torres insisted to see the warrant of arrest but she was not shown any. Due to her weak condition, Torres was forced to go with the CIDG.
Torres is a member of Gabriela-Mauban chapter. She is charged with murder.
"The government is such a power tripper that it would rather pursue its attacks against the people even those who are in most vulnerable conditions such as Andrea Rosal and Maria Miradel Torres than address the root causes of dissent among the people,” Hilao-Enriquez said. "This is another violation of international rules governing arrested and detained pregnant women. The BS Aquino government clearly does not respect these rights and should answer to the Filipino people and to the international community," Enriquez concluded.