Two women political prisoners, Rossine Enyong, 53, and Mary Dem Forones, 47, were released on May 5 after nearly five years of imprisonment. They were released from Negros Occidental District Jail (NODJ) following the court in San Carlos City’s dismissal of the case of illegal possession of firearms and explosives filed against them.

The two were arrested on July 30, 2022, in a house in Barangay Minapasok, Calatrava, Negros Occidental. The victims said they were ordered out of the house and shortly after, the 79th IB claimed to have found firearms and explosives.

Aside from the two, Christell Abordo was also arrested with them. Abordo remains detained despite her case’s dismissal because she is still facing a rebellion case in the court in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental.

According to Kapatid-Negros Occidental, Enyong suffered extreme trauma because aside from her almost five-year detention, state forces abducted her daughter Lyngrace Marturillas during her imprisonment.

State forces abducted Marturillas, along with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines-Negros consultant Roger Posadas, and habal-habal drivers Renel de los Santos and Denald Mialen, on April 19, 2023, on the Binalbagan-Hinigaran highway. Posadas was killed and was reported to have died in an encounter on April 20, 2023, while the other three were disappeared by the Marcos regime.

According to data from Kapatid-Negros Occidental, the number of political prisoners remains highest on Negros Island even after Enyong and Forones were released. There are still 102 political prisoners on the island.

The group continues to call for the release of all political prisoners and the dismissal of what they call fabricated cases against activists, organizers, and ordinary citizens in Negros.