HUMAN rights activist Temogen "Cocoy" Tulawie, who was recently cleared by a Manila court in any involvement in a Sulu bombing incident in 2009, said he will be staying in Davao City "for good."
"Not only for the meantime, we are planning to stay here for good in Davao. We choose Davao; actually, sabi ko nga Davao is outside the influence of those corrupt politicians, so Davao na lang," Tulawie said in an interview Thursday during his thanksgiving party.
Tulawie was originally from the province of Sulu.
He arrived in Davao City last July 21 after being acquitted on July 20 by Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 19.
It was previously reported that Manila RTC Branch 19 presiding Judge Marlo Magdoza found Tulawie not guilty, together with Johan Alihudin and Abner Tahir, during his promulgation as the "prosecution was not able to establish evidence to prove the accused guilty."
With the trial running for almost a year, Lawyer May Ann Arnado of the Mindanao People Caucus (MPC), one of Tulawie's legal counsels in Davao City earlier said that the statement of the prosecution's star witness was illegitimate and was "rehearsed in order to single out Tulawie."
"At least, kahit gaano kalakas ang complainant, they are able to use their power their resources they spend millions of money just to pin me down at least at the end, we are able to prove our innocence although I have no doubt from the beginning and no fear in my heart that I will be able to prove my innocence and yun talaga yung nangyari," Tulawie said.
Other than transferring to Davao City, Tulawie also said that he is also planning on how to continue his human rights advocacy works.
"Pinag-iisipan ko kung paano ko ipapatuloy yung aking advocacy kasi yun din talaga without the help and the support of my colleagues in the human rights peace activism malamang up to now, I might still be in jail still yun that's a life time commitment na ipagpatuloy ko yung struggle for fighting for human rights," Tulawie said.
"That experience, mas lalong dapat ipagpatuloy kasi ako mismo masasabi kung gaano kahalaga yung freedom nang isang tao," he added, referring to what he has been through.