MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang assured Friday the detained health workers, collectively known as Morong 43, that the government would “rectify” the mistakes in their case after they launched a hunger strike to seek their release.

Deputy Presidential Spokeswoman Abigail Valte said they were surprised at the hunger protest of the Morong 43 but insisted that their concerns on the irregularity of their arrest last February are not falling on deaf ears.

 “It (hunger strike) comes as a surprise but we would like to assure the Morong 43 and their families that something is already being done about this, to rectify the situation,” Valte said in a press briefing at the Palace.

She said President Aquino has mentioned there was something wrong with the warrant that covered the arrest of the health workers with suspected links with the armed communist group early this year.

The case of the Morong 43 is now under review after Justice Secretary Leila de Lima has also given her recommendations on the charges against the suspected communist rebels to the President, she added.

 “We are doing something to remedy the situation and to rectify the mistake that was done. I would like to tell them that they have the government’s attention. An appropriate review is being done on their case,” she added.

However, Valte reiterated that the executive branch is powerless to order the release of the Morong 43 since the case is pending in the court.

 “We understand their sentiment that they want to spend Christmas with their family however it is not within the purview of the executive to decide on the validity of the warrant. It is with the court,” she said.

The health workers reportedly started a hunger strike early Friday to seek their release from detention at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City. They claimed that they were wrongly arrested by the security forces due to a defective warrant.

The government review on the illegal possession of firearms and explosives case filed against the health workers was triggered by concerns raised by some human rights groups that there were irregularities in the arrest and detention of the health workers.

The President recently acknowledged that the case of the Morong 43 was no longer in the hands of the executive branch since they are undergoing trial.

Mr. Aquino said he could not order the court to release the Morong 43 shortly after he received the recommendations made by De Lima.  He admitted though that the evidence against the health workers may have been illegally obtained during a government raid in Morong.