These are the stories of wives who shared their husbands with the country and dreams of a better life not only for their families but for the people.
Beyond the immeasurable pain of dealing with the loss and the ambiguity of the future of their loved ones, they soldiered on –raised the family, carved their own niche, looked after one another, and carried on with the advocacy.
This bespectacled and diminutive figure has become a constant visitor of courts and the Camp Bagong Diwa detention center in Taguig City which is holding Vic and other political prisoners. In between the waiting period, Fides could be seen shuffling from staff to staff, making sure that all requirements and provisions were approved for the visit. At times, she would negotiate with the jail personnel to shorten the otherwise long process.
“I would receive letters sometimes because I sent word that I wanted to know if he was safe. But that was it. I didn’t know where he was,” said Fides, who added that she also came under surveillance prior to Vic’s arrest. Through Kapatid, Fides said detainees’ loved ones addressed some of the issues that political prisoners faced including the resolution of their cases, health conditions, and the lack of food supplies and legal assistance.“Kapatid’s purpose was to provide focused support for political prisoners because their numbers are not diminishing. It may fluctuate but it remains an alarming phenomenon all throughout, which represents the intensity of human rights violations, trumped up cases,” Fides said.
“I always tell our members let us not accept words like ‘no’, or ‘prohibited’ because our loved ones were not supposed to be detained in the first place. Precisely, by the very definition, they are political prisoners because the charges and reasons for their detention are politically motivated, which in itself already pushes us to assert our rights that they be freed and that their rights and welfare be protected in jail,” she said.
Together, Vic and Fides looked like a regular old married couple who bond over banters and a shared sense of humor. They would joke over Vic failing to remember their wedding anniversary as well as Fides’ birthday and would reminisce about their civil wedding in Baguio City. Despite her tough demeanor, Fides said she always worries about Vic’s health and old age. He had been hospitalized twice due to chronic asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease , and tuberculosis.
The writ was opposed by the Bureau of Corrections despite the Marcos administration’s plan to decongest the country’s prison and penal farms. “There are only a few of them. They’re old already. So we hope to see them released as soon as possible. We are applying for their commutation of sentences. And then if their sentences are commuted, they may meet the minimum sentence served or they may have served their sentence in full. So they can be released already,” he said.“They are not just statistics but human beings.
Fides Lim Fides Lim-Ladlad Vic Ladlad Political Prisoners
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