THE Bacolod City Council approved a resolution requesting the joint elements of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Criminal Investigations and Detection Group (CIDG)-Western Visayas, Negros Occidental Provincial Police Office, Bacolod City Police Office, and the Philippine Army Joint Task Force to provide appropriate information without jeopardizing national security to the city council on the mass arrest conducted on the local offices of the cause-oriented or progressive groups.

The resolution, authored by Councilor Wilson Gamboa Jr., was approved during the regular session of the city council on Wednesday, November 6.

Gamboa said Section 11 Article II of the 1987 Constitution provides that the State values the dignity of every human person and guarantees full respect for human rights.

He said Article III of the 1987 Constitution also provides for the Bill of Rights.

He added that these arrests were made last October 31, 2019 at local offices of Bayan, Kilusang Mayo Uno, Gabriela, Anakpawis, National Federation of Sugarcane Workers (NFSW), and at Barangay 33, Bacolod City.

The fact-finding team composed of representatives of various progressive groups also arrived in Bacolod to perform their own investigation about the raids of authorities that resulted to the arrest of 57 of their officials and members.

The fact-finding team was led by Karapatan Bayan, NFSW, among others.

The City Prosecutor’s Office earlier dismissed the criminal charges filed against the 31 out of 42 activists who were arrested in raids.

Capt. Cenon Pancito III, spokesperson of Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, earlier said that Fiscal Fernand Castro dismissed the charges for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, and illegal possession of explosives against the 31 persons for lack of probable cause.