PROGRESSIVE lawmakers on Tuesday urged a House of Representatives committee to investigate the arrest of a community doctor who helped indigenous communities set up local health centers.
House Resolution No. 2496, filed by three representatives from Bayan Muna Party-list, calls on the House Committee on Human Rights to condemn and investigate the case of medical doctor Ma. Natividad Marian “Naty” Castro, who was arrested last week by a team of police and military intelligence operatives.
“Doctors and health workers, especially those who chose to serve the most depressed rural areas should be given support by the government, not subjected to unlawful arrests of possibly fabricated charges,” the lawmakers said, noting that Ms. Castro was a victim of communist-tagging and harassment.
Members of the medical community, including the Department of Health, have expressed concern over the incident and called for the protection of health professionals.
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) assisted Ms. Castro’s lawyers in filing a petition for bail before the Regional Trial Court of Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur, where Ms. Castro is facing charges of kidnapping and serious illegal detention.
The CHR earlier cited a number of irregularities in Ms. Castro’s arrest, noting that the apprehending officers did not show proper identification.
Meanwhile, Cabinet Secretary and Presidential Spokesperson Karlo Alexei B. Nograles defended government forces saying the arrest did not violate the law.
“If you look at the facts of the case, the arrest was made by virtue of an arrest warrant issued by the Regional Trial Court for serious illegal detention and kidnapping,” he said at a regular news conference on Tuesday.
Bayan Muna said Ms. Castro worked with institutions advocating for community health. She was also a “staunch” human rights defender, documenting and assisting victims of rights violations, including indigenous people. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza