Sunday, October 05, 2008 PNP's lawsuit vs 27 activists denounced By Jill Beltran
SEVERAL leaders and members of Southern Tagalog militant groups condemned the criminal charges filed against 27 activists allegedly involved in burning of a cell site in Batangas Province.
The 27 activists, who are all prominent militant leaders in Southern Tagalog, were charged with arson, destruction of property, and conspiracy to commit rebellion.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) and a certain Marlo Timbreza in behalf of Globe Telecom Corp. filed the complaint following the burning of a Globe cell site in Lemery, Batangas last August 2.
During Saturday's press conference at Cypress Kapihan at Treehouse, some of the activist-leaders dismissed the accusations of the PNP believing that the complaint is "PNP's handiwork" and "part of the government's counter-insurgency program to neutralize leftist groups and critics of the administration."
"After failing to silence militant organizations through extrajudicial killings, the Arroyo regime has resorted to filing trumped-up charges against activists," said Bayani Cambronero, Bayan Muna regional coordinator in Southern Tagalog.
Cambronero stressed that he has nothing to do with the burning of the Globe cell site and most of them were not even informed of the case and they only knew about the complaint by accident.
He said the charges are "so carelessly done" as it is impossible for a person to easily recognize 27 persons in one place at the same time.
The complaint, he added, is one of the government's plans to taint their credibility due to the success of militant advocacy in Southern Tagalog like transport strike and other activities addressing public issues.
All other respondents of the case denied the accusations of the PNP and that they are confident the complaint will be easily dismissed as they have their own witnesses to prove their whereabouts when the cell site was burned.
As part of their resistance, the activists are planning a "welcoming protest" on October 6 for PNP Chief Jesus Versoza who they said "is no different to the past PNP chiefs who committed gross human rights violations in the name of counter-insurgency."
They are also planning to conduct two-week street protests starting October 12 in commemoration of the peasant month.
Militant groups also disclosed that they are planning to file counter charges against the police and military officials who charged them.
Complainants of the case meanwhile have not issued any comment on the statement of the activists as of Saturday.
