Marissa is still in jail, here are her words...
- Details
- Published on Tuesday, 18 February 2020 11:02
- Written by editor
These vital stories will find a global audience and a life could be saved.
Hi PAOV,
Many of you who have helped us raise 60% of the funds we need to bail out Filipino climate activist and human rights defender Marissa Cabaljao. Thank you! We’re grateful that the Philippine National Police released Marissa’s 1-year-old daughter “Malaya” from jail this past week. However, 4 of the 5 human rights defenders are still locked up. It's been 10 days since the government raided their offices in the middle of the night and framed these activists on trumped up charges in order to squash progressive organizing. 17,000+ have signed the petition demanding their release.
Here are the first words we’ve received from Marissa in jail:
"The longer I am locked up here the more my blood boils down to my fighting spirit. The state is denying my baby daughter her Mother’s milk. My plea is the same as all Mothers separated from their children because of the fascist state. POWER TO THE PEOPLE! Thank you for all the moral support and response to Malaya's needs!"
If just some of the people reading this email chip in, Marissa could be reunited with her children tomorrow. We're 60% of the way there. Can you help us get the rest of the way?
Bail has now been
set at ₱120,000 pesos for each person or $3115 CAD / $2350 USD. The majority of families in the Eastern Visayas (where Tacloban is located) live in poverty with an income of ₱57 ($1.13 USD) per day. (1) That means paying off this bail would take the average family in Tacloban more than 5 and a half years. All money raised will go towards bail, which will result in the immediate release of the Tacloban 5. Any additional funds raised will go towards their legal bills going forward.
Last year more environmentalists were killed in the Philippines than any other country in the world (2). This situation is dire. The raid on February 7 occurred just months after similar raids and the arrests of 57 environmental and human rights defenders and union activists, including 15 minors, were arrested in nearby Nergros (3). The police planted evidence to frame those activists in an identical manner to the Tacloban 5. Local media is currently reporting police have hundreds of arrest warrants for other activists they're planning to act on (4).
You can chip in for the bail fund here.
Mira Legion’s family was able to pay her bail but journalist Frenchiemae Cumpio, human rights defenders Marielle "Maye" Domequil, Alexander "Chakoy" Abinguna, and our friend Marissa Cabaljao are all still in jail.
~~~~
Also the incredible Wet'suwet'en solidarity actions continue across Canada. Here's a map.
⭐Please donate to the Unistoten Legal Fund:
https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/unistoten2020legalfund
Follow http://unistoten.camp for regular updates.
In Solidarity,
Sean
SOURCES:
1. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282673466_Eastern_Visayas_after_Yolanda_Evidence_from_Household_Survey
2. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/07/philippines-deadliest-country-environment-activists-2018-190730050417470.html
3. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1184834/57-activists-arrested-in-negros
4.https://www.democracynow.org/2020/2/11/headlines/fears_mount_for_5_activists_detained_in_philippines
