Freedom for Ericson Acosta and all other political prisoners NOW!

My friend, Ericson Acosta

I AM EXTREMELY DISTRESSED upon receipt of a news stating that a good friend ERICSON ACOSTA is now behind bars for a crime he did not commit.

ERICSON, whom I had the pleasure and privilege of meeting, being friends and working with during my time at the University of the Philippines and even afterwards, is an artist with his heart in the right place. Like many others, Acosta is not your typical activist archetype--he is far above the rest. His life is dedicated to the People, the people whom he has learned to love and cherish for a decade or two. 

During our times together in the university, he was the jolly type, an artist par excellence and you could also sense his utmost commitment to what he believe in. He believed in the liberation of the body and soul from this parasitic system called Capitalism. 

He is a social worker, a cultural worker, an artist, a free lance journalist. He was conducting a human rights research study at San Jorge in Calbayog Samar when he was illegally arrested. He was jailed without any charges. 

According to reports, he was severely tortured and left to rot with a debilitating disease inside the provincial jail of Samar. His 80 year old mother Liwayway came all the way from Manila to be with him in Samar, same as his father. 

At a time when President Aquino promises reform and a good life for all, there are an increasing number of Filipinos being illegally detained, tortured and jailed without cause. 

THIS VIOLATES THE TUWID NA DAAN RHETORIC AND THE MERE KNOWLEDGE THAT SUCH ILLUSTRIOUS SONS OF THE MOTHERLAND ARE BEING SEVERELY TORTURED AND DETAINED BY AN EVER PARANOID MILITARY LEAVES A VERY BAD TASTE IN THE MOUTH.

I APPEAL TO PRESIDENT BENIGNO S. AQUINO TO IMMEDIATELY CAUSE THE RELEASE OF ERICSON ACOSTA AND SEVERAL OTHERS DETAINED IN SAMAR, WHO ARE NOW TAGGED AS THE CATBALOGAN FIVE.

FREE THEM AND SHOW YOUR HONESTY AND COMMITMENT TO DEMOCRACY! FREE THE REMAINING POLITICAL PRISONERS WHO ARE THE TRUE HEROES OF THE MOTHERLAND AND WHO FOUGHT FOR THE LIBERTIES WE SO ENJOY TODAY.

WERE IT NOT FOR THESE PATRIOTIC SONS OF THE MOTHERLAND, WE PROBABLY WOULD BE SUFFERING STILL FROM THE DICTATORIAL FANGS OF THE MARCOSIAN REGIME.

FREE ERICSON ACOSTA NOW! 
FREE OTHER POLITICAL DETAINEES NOW!
FREEDOM TO ALL REGARDLESS OF BELIEF AND POLITICAL PRINCIPLES!
FREE ERICSON ACOSTA IMMEDIATELY!!!