Meeting with long-term women political prisoners. Many have languished in jail for years awaiting trial on trumped up charges. The authorities always throw on an explosives charge which is a non-bailable offense. Meanwhile these courageous women are confined 32 to an 18 x 9 cell in a row of block upon block of cells. They have left behind children and grandchildren and never issued a peep of complaint despite the sweltering 110 degree heat. One ladys baby had just died after 1 day of life due to the harshness of the conditions. The infirmary is the bed-bug infested hole at the end of the tier - no nurse no doctor. In the midst of this deprivation they brought out a guitar to sing freedom songs in Tagalog. At the end I requested the International. Their voices boomed as we sang - me faking the words as i cant remember much of the song since the old days. When it came time to depart, we hugged and cried and promised to some day see each other on the outside. We also promised that my friend Isabel will persuade the Warden to allow her to show her films on movie Mondays. She will also teach an acting class so that they can perform for the other inmates among whom they organize. When I left i slipped them all of my money for food and toiletries and medical expenses (which they must pay for or do without.) I also promised to return for their performance and to seek to bring international attention to their plight. Next time I will get into the tier in which 300 prisoners from the Moro Islamic Independent Front who are housed in a different building. Pic on left is our pass from the Warden. Right is us engaged in political discussion. (At the end of the tier is the infirmary.) All of them now know about Andy Lopez and the militarization and murder of the US police.
Posted on: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 02:09:52 +0000
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