The UP-Philippine General Hospital Department of Family and Community Medicine, UP College of Medicine Class of 2004, and the entire UP Manila administration are currently calling for Dr. Natividad Castro’s release, especially since she is only devoting her career to delivering medical services to the poor in Agusan and other parts of Mindanao.
“We are all concerned in the UP Manila community, including the UP College of Medicine and the Philippine General Hospital that another doctor practicing in the underserved areas where we have asked our graduates to serve is again being maligned and red-tagged,” said UPM in a statement.
“We urge the UP Community and the Filipino people to support us in this call for ensuring the safety and welfare of Dr. Naty Castro. We embrace the Castro Family and pray for strength as they endure this difficult time of uncertainty and hardship.”
Dr. Natividad Castro has graduated from the UPM College of Medicine Class of 1995. Despite the calls, the Commission on Human Rights said it was not in their hands to call for Castro’s release, especially since it was at the court’s discretion.
Groups call for release of doctor activist Natividad Castro
The Department of Health (DOH) calls for Castro’s rights to be defended while her case is being processed.
“All our citizens, health workers included, enjoy the constitutional guarantees of due process and presumption of innocence until proven guilty,” according to a statement on Saturday.
“We trust our authorities to uphold these rights.”
On Friday, police arrested 53-year-old Castro on charges of “kidnapping” and “serious illegal detention” in San Juan City. Despite this, it was questioned whether the method of arresting the doctor, former secretary-general of Karapatan-Caraga, was under the law.
Natividad Castro is known for building several Lumad schools and providing medical services in the province. Apart from this, she was one of the resource persons who spoke to the United Nations to show the human rights situation of the indigenous people under President Rodrigo Duterte.
Castro was immediately taken away from her family and lawyers when first arrested. On Saturday, the PNP public information office chief PBGen disclosed. Roderick Alba flew the accused to Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur.
