Wednesday, March 21, 2007 Leftists to rally for Ocampo, vs Moreno By Danilo V. Adorador III
MILITANT leftist groups are gearing up for a nationwide simultaneous protest action this week to denounce the arrest of partylist Bayan Muna Representative Satur Ocampo.
Their move came about even as the military hierarchy debunked claims by the militant groups about the so-called number of militants killed by "extrajudicial killings" -- an issue being heavily campaigned by the latter.
The Fourth Infantry Division said the military would come out with a list that would enumerate the actual number of victims of "extrajudicial killings."
Lawyer Beverly Musni, head of the militant human rights group Karapatan in Northern Mindanao, said a two-hour, mid-day protest will take place this Friday at the Divisoria Freedom Kiosk in support of the embattled leftist lawmaker.
Friday's protest rally will coincide with the Supreme Court's hearing of Ocampo's petition to quash the warrant of arrest against him and stop all proceedings he will be facing.
Ocampo's arrest stemmed from charges identifying him as one of the masterminds in the execution of suspected double agents in the communist rebel ranks.
The police said Ocampo ordered the execution of, at least, 65 civilians and communist rebels suspected of being deep penetration agents of the military.
The skeletal remains of the victims were exhumed by military and police forces in Inopacan town in Leyte late last year. Relatives of 15 of the victims, whose identities have been established, filed charges against Ocampo and several other respondents in court.
But Musni said the Leyte mass graves were part of an elaborate hoax allegedly concocted by the military to discredit leftist personalities.
Apart from Ocampo, also charged are 50 other respondents including communist party founder Jose Ma. Sison.
Meanwhile, Musni said militant leaders also planned holding a picket against Misamis Oriental Governor Oscar Moreno to protest the governor's supposed lackluster response in the series of militant killings in Salay town.
Militants have earlier demanded a military pull-out from Salay and other eastern municipalities of the province, considered by the military as rebel lairs.
Moreno did not support that call--widening the rift.
Musni said they had yet to announce the date of the planned protest action, which was tentatively set in front of the Capitol.
The governor earlier denied he was indifferent to the killings in Salay, which already claimed the lives of three activists since last year.
He said the Capitol has been addressing poverty, which he said was the root cause of insurgency in the province's eastern towns.
The Provincial Government also held a dialogue with Salay residents, majority of whom reportedly supported retention of troops and Cafgu detachments in their area.
