NEWS RELEASE
08 February 2010
Reference:  Sophia Garduce, spokesperson , 0928-5089104

Child rights advocates call for the release of Dr. Merry Mia Clamor and other Medical Personnel abducted in Rizal

SALINLAHI Alliance for Children’s Concerns and its member organizations, especially the Parents Alternative for Early Childhood Care and Development, Inc. (PAECCDI) strongly condemn the recent illegal arrest of 43 health workers and doctors, including the mother of one of the student of PAECCD day care center; Dr. Merry Mia Clamor, Vice-President of the PAECCDI Parents –Teachers Association.   

According to Sophia Garduce, Spokesperson of Salinlahi, the abduction and continuous detention of 43 medical personnel in Morong Rizal, by the 202nd Infantry Brigade and the Rizal PNP is ‘absurd and unfounded’.  “The Salinlahi Alliance adds its voice to the growing public demand for the immediate release of the 43 medical workers.  We can particularly attest that one of them, Dr. Merry Mia-Clamor is a loving and caring mother not only to her son but to the tens of thousands of poor children in both urban and rural communities whose health and nutritional conditions are a clear testimony of government neglect.”

Salinlahi also added that the Council for Health and Development and the Community Medicine Foundation, Inc, organizers of the training have been providing free medical services to children and their parents in the communities of Salinlahi member organizations.  “Medical and health workers from these organizations have been doing what the government has failed to do, that is, giving the poor and deprived families the chance to access health services,” Garduce said

The child rights group cited that the ratio of medical worker to patient is 1:29,000 and thus, many children, even in the urban areas have not seen a medical professionals much less been treated by doctor.  ‘The government should even be thankful to medical workers like Dr. Clamor, and Dr. Montes others who face hardships in delivering medical services to the poor amid very little resources and despite the ongoing trend where people like them more often than not leave our country and work abroad for better income possibilities.’

Garduce also said that the AFP’s paranoia, which has previously resulted to the violation of rights of peasants, workers, lawyers and journalist, has now extended to medical workers and became another stumbling block to the Filipino people’s access to health services.  “The recent raid and abduction are a threat not only to the rights of all medical workers, but most of all to the survival rights of the poorest people in far flung areas, especially children who are developmentally very much in need of adequate and quality health care.” Garduce ended. ###