MANILA -- Six of the so-called Morong 43 on Monday filed a P15-million damage suit against top-ranking government officials including former President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who were believed to be behind the gross injustices they were made to suffer during their 10-month detention.
Damages totaling to P15 million are for claimants' physical and psychological torture and other forms of indignities they suffered during their illegal arrest and detention.
Besides Arroyo, defendants named in the suit areformer Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales, former Chief of Staff Gen. Victor Ibrado, Gen. Delfin N. Bangit, former commander of the 2nd Infantry Division (ID) Gen. Jorge Segovia, commander of the intelligence unit of the 2nd IDPA Lt. Col. Cristobal Zaragosa, 2nd IDPA Warden Major Manuel Tabion, commander of the 202nd Infantry Batallion (IB) Col. Aurelio Baladad, 16th IBPA commander Lt. Col. Jaime Abawag, and Rizal Provincial Police Office commander P/Supt. Marion Balolong.
“We want to send a strong message that one cannot just get away with human rights violations. This is our contribution to efforts in making sure that human rights violators are made accountable for their actions,” registered nurse Gary Liberal, one of the plaintiffs, said. (Kathrina Alvarez/Sunnex)