MANILA, Philippines - A local court has ordered the transfer of custody of the so-called "Morong 43" to the Philippine National Police's (PNP) main camp in Quezon City, a militant group leader said Thursday.

Renato Reyes Jr., Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) secretary-general, said the Morong Regional Trial Court Branch 78 has ordered the transfer of 38 of 43 health workers from the military's custodial center in Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal.

Reyes said the court ordered the military to transfer the 38 to the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame.

He said lawyers representing the 38 health workers were scheduled to get a copy of the court's order and bring it to the Armed Forces of the Philippines to expedite the transfer.

Only 38 of the 43 health workers were ordered transferred because the other 5 are already being considered as state witnesses.

The health workers were arrested by the military on February 6 from a rest house in Morong, Rizal on suspicion of being members of the Communist movement.

The Morong 43 has been charged with illegal possession of explosives and firearms.

The 5 "turncoats" are in a separate safe house inside Camp Capinpin in Rizal. The 5 had allegedly admitted that they are members of New People's Army (NPA) units in Quezon, Bulacan and Mindoro provinces.

The 5 said they are ready to leave the communist movement, but are concerned over the safety of their families because the NPA may allegedly retaliate.

The rights group Karapatan, meanwhile, claimed that the 5 suspects were tortured.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines on Thursday released a statement expressing grave concern over the well-being of the “Morong 43.”

It added that authorities seem to have conflicting positions on the legitimacy of the arrests. It also echoed several human rights groups that said the detention of the health workers in a military camp makes them vulnerable to further abuses. – Report from Noel Alamar, radio dzMM