Gov’t behind ‘revived’ murder raps, say party-list solons
Militant lawmakers yesterday (April 18) branded as another attempt of the Arroyo government to pin them down on the multiple murder charges filed against them by the military in separate courts in Nueva Ecija last year.
The latest charges against Satur Ocampo and Teodoro Casiño, both of Bayan Muna, Liza Maza of Gabriela and former Anakpawis Rep. Rafael Mariano stemmed from accusations that they ordered the killings of three Nueva Ecija farmers.
Ocampo denied the charges against him, saying these are merely trumped-up accusations by the Arroyo administration.
He noted that the charges are just a retaliation of the government after he attended the 10-day meeting in Canada which tackled the issue of spate of extra-judicial killings in the country.
The Bayan Muna representative also accused the government of conducting surveillance on him.
Ocampo, in a radio interview, said two motorcycle riding men were stalking outside his house in Quezon City.
He added the men apparently had two other companions in aboard another vehicle and the four unidentified persons were communicating through radio.
According to him, if the men were from the police, they had no reason to closely monitor his actions because authorities have yet to release any warrant of arrest against him, in connection with the murder case filed against him at a court in Nueva Ecija province.
Casino, for his part, said the Nueva Ecija multiple murder case against them was the same charge used as basis for last year’s disqualification case filed against their party-list groups which was eventually dismissed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
He also accused the military and the police of pressuring the court to issue an arrest warrant against them.
“The PNP and the AFP are now pressuring the court to abandon due process and issue an arrest warrant tomorrow (April 21) to again forcibly remove us from serving our constituents,” Casiño, in a text message, stressed.
The families of victims Danilo Felipe, Carlito Bayudang and Jimmy Peralta filed the criminal charges after witnesses surfaced and named the party-list congressmen in the killings.
Apart from the lawmakers, 15 other members of the Communist Party of the Philippines. New People’s Army in Central Luzon were also named in the charge sheet.
Malacañang, however, denied having a hand in the alleged surveillance operation against Ocampo.
Chief presidential legal counsel Sergio Apostol maintained that there is no reason to do that because there is no pressing issue against Ocampo right now.
The Palace official said Ocampo is always free to speak up against the government in the matter has no logic.
“Why would we threaten him? He is even free to speak anything and besides, he is not doing anything wrong… There is no issue about him so what is the reason of any surveillance?” he asked.
Apostol said the government is willing to give security to Ocampo should he ask for it.
He added they also want the matter looked into so they would know if it is true and who are involved.
In 2007, Ocampo was arrested over his alleged participation in the killings of former colleagues in Hilongos, Leyte, in connection with the purging of government spies who infiltrated the ranks of the Communist Party of the Philippines in early and mid 80s. the Supreme Court dismissed the rebellion case against the Batasan 6, and allowed Ocampo to post bail on the Hilongos case.
Militant group Pamalakaya, meanwhile, accused President Arroyo, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzalez, and outgoing Armed Forces Chief of Staff Hermogenes Esperon Jr. of masterminding the looming arrest of Ocampo and the three other activist lawmakers.
“The National Security gang in Malacañang is behind this brazen attempt to imprison the real servants of the people. It wants to stop them from exposing and opposing the President’s long-running crimes against the people,” Pamalakaya national chairman Fernando Hicap, in a statement, said.
“Malacañang just waited for the Universal Periodic Review finished its assessment of the President Arroyo’s human rights performance over the last six years before deciding to push through with the filing of criminal charges against our party-list lawmakers,” he added.
Last week, Ocampo was on a spwaking tour in Canada to tackle the human rights performance of Mrs. Arroyo, while Casiño was part of the six member delegation dispatched by the Philippine UPR Watch to contest the human rights report of the 44-men delegation team sent by Malacañang last week to report the human rights records of the Philippine government over the last seven years before the United Nation Human Rights Council currently reviewing the human rights status in the country.
Militant lawmakers yesterday (April 18) branded as another attempt of the Arroyo government to pin them down on the multiple murder charges filed against them by the military in separate courts in Nueva Ecija last year.The latest charges against Satur Ocampo and Teodoro Casiño, both of Bayan Muna, Liza Maza of Gabriela and former Anakpawis Rep. Rafael Mariano stemmed from accusations that they ordered the killings of three Nueva Ecija farmers.
Ocampo denied the charges against him, saying these are merely trumped-up accusations by the Arroyo administration.
He noted that the charges are just a retaliation of the government after he attended the 10-day meeting in Canada which tackled the issue of spate of extra-judicial killings in the country.
The Bayan Muna representative also accused the government of conducting surveillance on him.
Ocampo, in a radio interview, said two motorcycle riding men were stalking outside his house in Quezon City.
He added the men apparently had two other companions in aboard another vehicle and the four unidentified persons were communicating through radio.
According to him, if the men were from the police, they had no reason to closely monitor his actions because authorities have yet to release any warrant of arrest against him, in connection with the murder case filed against him at a court in Nueva Ecija province.
Casino, for his part, said the Nueva Ecija multiple murder case against them was the same charge used as basis for last year’s disqualification case filed against their party-list groups which was eventually dismissed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
He also accused the military and the police of pressuring the court to issue an arrest warrant against them.
“The PNP and the AFP are now pressuring the court to abandon due process and issue an arrest warrant tomorrow (April 21) to again forcibly remove us from serving our constituents,” Casiño, in a text message, stressed.
The families of victims Danilo Felipe, Carlito Bayudang and Jimmy Peralta filed the criminal charges after witnesses surfaced and named the party-list congressmen in the killings.
Apart from the lawmakers, 15 other members of the Communist Party of the Philippines. New People’s Army in Central Luzon were also named in the charge sheet.
Malacañang, however, denied having a hand in the alleged surveillance operation against Ocampo.
Chief presidential legal counsel Sergio Apostol maintained that there is no reason to do that because there is no pressing issue against Ocampo right now.
The Palace official said Ocampo is always free to speak up against the government in the matter has no logic.
“Why would we threaten him? He is even free to speak anything and besides, he is not doing anything wrong… There is no issue about him so what is the reason of any surveillance?” he asked.
Apostol said the government is willing to give security to Ocampo should he ask for it.
He added they also want the matter looked into so they would know if it is true and who are involved.
In 2007, Ocampo was arrested over his alleged participation in the killings of former colleagues in Hilongos, Leyte, in connection with the purging of government spies who infiltrated the ranks of the Communist Party of the Philippines in early and mid 80s. the Supreme Court dismissed the rebellion case against the Batasan 6, and allowed Ocampo to post bail on the Hilongos case.
Militant group Pamalakaya, meanwhile, accused President Arroyo, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzalez, and outgoing Armed Forces Chief of Staff Hermogenes Esperon Jr. of masterminding the looming arrest of Ocampo and the three other activist lawmakers.
“The National Security gang in Malacañang is behind this brazen attempt to imprison the real servants of the people. It wants to stop them from exposing and opposing the President’s long-running crimes against the people,” Pamalakaya national chairman Fernando Hicap, in a statement, said.
“Malacañang just waited for the Universal Periodic Review finished its assessment of the President Arroyo’s human rights performance over the last six years before deciding to push through with the filing of criminal charges against our party-list lawmakers,” he added.
Last week, Ocampo was on a spwaking tour in Canada to tackle the human rights performance of Mrs. Arroyo, while Casiño was part of the six member delegation dispatched by the Philippine UPR Watch to contest the human rights report of the 44-men delegation team sent by Malacañang last week to report the human rights records of the Philippine government over the last seven years before the United Nation Human Rights Council currently reviewing the human rights status in the country.
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