We in PinoyMedia Center and Pinoy Weekly view with concern the arrest and detention of writer and activist Ms. Rosanna “Sharon” Cabusao, who sat on the editorial board of Pinoy Weekly from 2002 to 2005.

We know Ms. Cabusao to be an excellent writer and editor who passionately brought her long experience in advocating for women’s rights and workers’ rights to our editorial board discussions and policies. She never failed to remind us that for journalism to matter, it must serve the interests of marginalized people. During her stint in the editorial board, Ms. Cabusao also wrote incisive and interesting news analyses and opinion pieces for Pinoy Weekly.

After working for Pinoy Weekly, Ms. Cabusao did research for Crispin B. Beltran Resource Center (CBBRC), an independent research institution named after the esteemed labor leader and legislator. She currently serves as a consultant for the said institution.

The circumstances of her and her compaions’ arrest, are spurious, if all-too-familiar for those of us who cover human rights stories. According to her and her colleagues at CBBRC, the authorities did not present any warrant of arrest for her. Ms. Cabusao has not been under any legal investigation, and prior to the arrest has not been accused of any crime. The authorities’ charge that Ms. Cabusao and her companions were in possession of illegal firearms (grenade launchers at that) are highly anomalous they are almost laughable.

Ms. Cabusao was arrested with her husband, Mr. Adelberto Silva, who is a peace consultant for the National Democratic Front, and Mr. Isidro de Lima. In all likelihood, the Aquino administration is persecuting her and Mr. de Lima merely because of their association with Mr. Silva. The arrest of Mr. Silva, a long-time labor organizer and an NDF consultant supposedly under protection of the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (Jasig), likewise bespeaks of the Aquino administration and its arresting authorities’ disrespect for peace agreements of which it is signatory.

Ms. Cabusao’s and her companions’ rights have clearly been violated. Their continued detention is patently unjust. We call on the Aquino government to respect the constitutional rights of Ms. Cabusao, and Misters Silva and de Lima, and all political prisoners in the country, for the sake of peace and justice.

Ilang-Ilang D. Quijano
Executive Director, PinoyMedia Center

Kenneth Roland A. Guda
Editor in Chief, Pinoy Weekly

Pinoy Weekly, which was founded in 2002, is an online and print alternative newsmagazine focusing on issues of marginalized sectors of Philippine society. It is currently being published by PinoyMedia Center, a SEC-registered nonprofit institution that advocates for communication rights for all and contributes to the democratization of the practice of journalism in the country.