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Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Jailed congressman brought back to Manila
MANILA -- Police brought Bayan Muna party-list Representative Satur Ocampo back to Manila on Monday afternoon, an hour after departing for Tacloban City supposedly to present him to the court that ordered his arrest.
Ocampo, who is facing multiple murder charges, was returned to his detention place at the Manila Police District (MPD) at around 3:10 p.m.
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He arrived aboard a Cessna plane from Tacloban City at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) in Pasay City, police said.
A few hours earlier or on 11:30 a.m., officials of the MPD's Warrant Section Division brought Ocampo to the Manila domestic airport to board a plane for Leyte despite an order from Leyte RTC judge Ephrem Abando that there was no immediate need for them to present Ocampo before his sala.
Abando told the police to keep Ocampo at the MDP detention facility so he could attend this Friday's oral arguments of his motion questioning the warrant of arrest issued against him.
On Monday morning, PNP Chief General Oscar Calderon announced in a press briefing in Camp Crame the transport of Ocampo to Tacloban City. He said they had yet to be furnished a copy of the court's order to delay Ocampo's departure for Leyte.
Calderon said under court procedures, the police are mandated to present an accused before the court after his arrest. He said since there were not formally informed by the court of its decision, they had to perform their mandate.
Interviewed by Manila reporters after his arrival at the MDP, Ocampo said: "I'm glad that we acted swiftly. It was wise to send our lawyer ahead of us to talk with the judge. I really appreciate that the judge came early to discuss the case."
The multiple murder charges against Ocampo stemmed from his role in the Leyte purge in the 1980s. According to the police, 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.
Apart from Ocampo, also charged are 50 other respondents including communist party founder Jose Ma. Sison, who is on self-exile in The Hague, Netherlands since the 1980s. The police are coordinating with the International Police for Sison's possible arrest.
At the Commission on Elections (Comelec), spokesman James Jimenez said Ocampo's arrest would not affect his candidacy as party-list representative of Bayan Muna.
"Even if they have arrested him (Ocampo), he can still run and win (for the party-list elections) until there is final conviction," said Jimenez.
Assuming Ocampo is convicted, Jimenez said Bayan Muna's third nominee would replace him.
The group's second nominee is Representative Teodoro Casiño while the third is Attorney Neri Colmenares of the Counsels for the Defense of Liberties (Codal). (VR/JMR/MSN/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Cebu. (March 20, 2007 issue)
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