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Friday, February 04, 2005
Peace panel gets gripes vs. Byron
By Grecar Nilles Sun.Star Staff Reporter
With Minerva B. Gerodias
Another complaint was filed against Capitol consultant on security Byron Garcia before the joint monitoring committee between the government and the National Democratic Front (NDF).
In the complaint, Angelina P. Sacamay, wife of political prisoner Edgardo Sacamay, accused Garcia of violating his right to due process, right against unusual punishment, abuse of authority or discretion, and maltreatment.
This is Garcia’s second complaint filed by Angelina and lawyer Alfonso Cinco III, who now heads human rights group Karapatan.
Garcia, his sister and Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, penology consultant Benjamin Lascuña, Supt. Lani-o Nerez, Supt. Alberto Aguisanda, Supt. Aderson Comar, Maj. Anastacia of the PNP Regional Mobile Group and custodial guard Rey Dumayag were also accused of human rights violations for the riot inside the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) last Dec. 27 to 29.
But the Garcia camp described the complaint against the governor as a desperate move of Karapatan to raise funds.
Capitol consultant Pablo John Garcia also questions the jurisdiction of the joint committee over the governor.
Noise barrage
The committee’s function is mainly to monitor the implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, signed between the government and the NDF panels in 1998.
In the second complaint, Karapatan alleged that Byron clubbed Edgardo’s left thigh using a nightstick last Jan. 13.
Karapatan alleged that the prisoners held a noise barrage about 4 p.m. last Jan. 13 because they wanted the jail guards to know an inmate had died.
About 6 p.m., a hearse allegedly arrived and retrieved the body. After the car had left, Byron reportedly went to the jail cells, ordered the prisoners out and lined them up in the quadrangle, where he clubbed them.
“(Byron) Garcia then castigated the prisoners for making noises, which purportedly irritated him. Without provocation, he began to swing around his nightstick while holding a 9mm pistol in his other hand. He walked up and down the line and clubbed the prisoners along his path,” Karapatan’s report read.
Edgardo’s bruise in his left thigh was allegedly still visible when he was presented in court during a hearing.
Propaganda
But Pablo John said the militant group could be running out of forums so that they had to file their complaint before the joint committee. He said even Sacamay’s doctor issued a statement that there was no maltreatment of the political detainee.
“This is for propaganda purposes and they are achieving their objectives because their wild statements are being reported in the papers,” Pablo John said.
Although Capitol is working on improving the facilities and services in the new provincial jail in Kalunasan, Cebu City, Pablo John admitted there are delays in giving food rations to the inmates of the new jail.
“We just moved there and there is really a mess hall in each level of the facility. But we still have to work out a system with the caterer on how to use the mess hall. So now, food is delivered to the cells, it is understandable that there will be delays in the distribution,” Pablo John explained.
The new CPDRC has more than 100 cells and the food ration is distributed to each cell.
(February 4, 2005 issue)
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