Village leader condemns arrest of flyer distributors

ANGELES CITY -- An official of the Councilmen’s League of Angeles City (CLAC) has condemned the arrest and alleged harassment of 10 flyer distributors by personnel of Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan.

Roy Ogurida, Barangay Cutcut councilman and CLAC vice president, in a statement read on a local radio show, criticized the “Martial Law-like” arrest and reported physical harassment of 10 individuals on February 3 by personnel of the Angeles City Entertainment Promotion Office (ACEPO).

The 10 were distributing flyers containing the joint statement signed by Ogurida and other village officials in Barangay Balibago here.

Ogurida also hit Pamintuan for allegedly issuing order to arrest the distributors.

“Hindi tama na itanggi ni Mayor Pamintuan na siya ang nasa likod ng pag-aresto sa mga taong ito dahil malinaw na sa kanya nanggaling ang utos,” said Ogurida. “Ito ay ayon na rin mismo sa isang text na nagmula sa kanya kung saan ay ipinagutos ni Mayor Pamintuan na bantayan ang Santo Rosario Church, Balibago Church, San Nicolas Market at Pampang Public Market para manghuli ng mga taong namimigay ng nasabing statement.”

The “text message” circulated on the evening of February 2 and was received by a friend of Barangay Lourdes Northwest councilman William David, one of Ogurida’s co-signees in the joint statement.

In the message, Pamintuan allegedly ordered a certain “Marlon” and “Jessie” to mobilize personnel who will monitor certain areas and arrest distributors of what they identified as “black propaganda.”

David said the “Marlon” and “Jessie” referred to in the text message are Marlon Enriquez, head of San Nicolas Public Market, and Jessie Eres, director of ACEPO, respectively.

Ogurida also denied the claim of the Pamintuan camp that the flyers being distributed by the 10 apprehended individuals are “black propaganda” materials.

“Ang nilalaman lamang ng leaflets na ito ay ang statement na pinirmahan ng ilan sa aming mga kagawad kung saan nakalahad ang aming mga sentimiyento tungkol sa pagkakasali ng pangalan ng aming mga kaanak sa listahan ng job order employees ng City Hall ng hindi namin nalalaman,” Ogurida said.