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Tuesday, February 10, 2004
Senate to cover farmhouse takeover, shame parade in inquiry
By Lizanilla Amarga
NOT only did Senate President Franklin Drilon last Friday ordered the investigation of the Misamis Oriental Provincial Farmhouse takeover.
He also directed two Senate committees to probe into the January 16 parade of 10 suspects initiated by Mayor Vicente Emano and acting city police director Insp. Antonio Montalba.
This came as several media practitioners, including Cagayan de Oro College (COC) dxJR and Channel 39 station manager Susan Palmes, are to be subpoenaed by the Senate committees to appear in hearings in Manila
to shed more light on the controversy.
Meanwhile, Drilon's orders were issued amidst a privilege speech given by former Cagayan de Oro city mayor now Senator Aquilino "Nene" Pimentel Jr., who slammed Emano and Montalba for parading the 10 suspects in the city streets.
"I am bringing forward to the attention of our colleagues the fact that there is a called shame parade, Mr. President (Drilon), where suspects were paraded under the heat of the sun, made to walk barefoot on the public roads of Cagayan de Oro ---suspects, Mr. President, not convicts," he said in his speech last Friday.
Pimentel also recounted how these suspects, who have been arrested, were made to wear placards stating that they are robbers and petty criminals.
He also informed the Senate how three of these 10 suspects made to do the shame parade were minors.
"And therefore, we would also wish that this would be looked into by the appropriate committee even as we are going into a recess," he said.
Pimentel suggested during his speech that the committee on local government led by Senator Robert Barbers be "made to look into this as the primary committee."
It is to be assisted by the committee on public order and illegal drugs headed by Senator Francis Pangilinan.
As no one objected to Pimentel's motion, Drilon immediately directed the two committees to investigate the matter.
Pimentel through his local officials said the Senate committee investigation would now be calling on some media practitioners to help shed light on this matter.
They would also subpoena some of the footages taken during the shame parade last January 16, when the 10 suspects were publicly humiliated as ordered by Emano and Montalba.
"Dili na madugay magsugdan na gyud kanang investigation sa shame parade nilang Emano ug Montalba apil gani si Susan Palmes sa dxJR ipa-appear sa Senado para sa investigation," he said. (It would not be long now for the Senate to investigate the shame parade initiated by Emano and Montalba even Susan Palmes of dxJR would be made to appear in the Senate for the investigation.)
The suspects who wore the tag "hold-upper" include: Ronald Diaz, 15; Randy Baguio, 24; Vernie Espinosa, 21; Bienvinido Ramos, Jr., 21; Dennis dela Cruz, 21; Frederick Arreisgado, 24; and Ryan Abecia, 21.
Roel Romualdo, 21, was made to wear the placard with the word "Akyat Bahay" around his neck."
(February 10, 2004 issue)
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