We have been highlighting the role of Philippines authorities regarding the arrest of Dr Montes, a member of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, and 42 other health workers. It has been reported that Dr Montes has alleged that while being interrogated he was pushed in the chest. He also claims that while blind-folded he felt a tingling sensation on the side of his thighs, which he believed was due to some form of electrocution.

The Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines has documented that one female detainee reported being slapped, hit on the back of the head and being threatened with being buried alive while under interrogation. Another female detainee also alleged she was threatened with being buried alive while being interrogated.

The Philippines Government has promoted the two officers that were in charge of the raid that arrested the health workers, Colonel Aurelio Baladad and Lt Colonel Jamie Abawag.

The Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines has questioned why the detainees remain in military custody when it was a civilian court that issued the search warrant that led to their arrest. The Commission has reported that from 8 February to 14 February, the detainees were subjected to “continuous interrogation, especially at odd hours of the night”. The interrogations stopped for a brief period, and then resumed on 18 February.

The Commission on Human Rights’ doctors were allowed to visit the detainees on 11 and 18 February. The doctors found no signs of the detainees having been subjected to physical torture. The Commission has called on the Philippines authorities to ensure the detainees have access to their lawyers, relatives, priests or religious ministers and medical personnel in compliance with Philippines law.

In early March, the Court of Appeals rejected a petition of habeas corpus on behalf of the detainees to have them brought before court and have them released in a vote of 3 to 2 of the five judges involved in the decision. Lawyers for the detainees have stated that they will appeal to the Supreme Court.

The 43 detainees have been charged with illegal possession of explosives, with three of them also being charged with illegal possession of firearms. The Armed Forces of the Philippines has also labelled the 43 detainees as members of the communist armed opposition group, the New The Philippines National Police have admitted that they are no longer looking for the person who was on the search warrant that formed the basis for raid that led to the arrest of the 43 health workers. This is despite the fact the person named on the warrant was not among those arrested.