April 28, 2012

NAME GAME – Continuing crackdown against the progressive organizations in Southern Tagalog

April 28, 2012 marks the 6th year of the abduction of KASAMA TK’s Secretary General Axel Pinpin and four others in Tagaytay City by unknown armed men who will be later identified as elements of the Naval Intelligence Security Force and the Police Regional Office-CALABARZON.

They were held incommunicado, were interrogated and tortured for 3 nights and 2 days before they were finally presented to the public. They were accused of conniving with then Magdalo leader Senator Antonio Trillanes in plotting to bomb the International Labor Day protests in Mendiola.

The “Tagaytay 5” was brought before the court and was charged with Rebellion on May 5, a week after their abduction.

After languishing in jail for 28 months, the court ordered the release of Axel Pinpin and his companions because the government failed to substantiate its allegations against the Tagaytay 5.

Alex Arias, Chairperson of PUMALAG (KASAMA-TK’s provincial chapter in Laguna) was illegally arrested by elements of the 1st Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army last April 7. He is being implicated along with 42 other names with the kidnapping and murder of PFC Eriberto Eclavea of the Philippine Army and a certain Ka troy on May 27, 2007.

The case was filed in Mauban, Quezon through Asst. Provincial Prosecutor Joel Angelo Putong and is now under Judge Rodolfo D. Obnamia Jr. of RTC Branch No. 64.

This was following the illegal arrest of Reynante Gamara, an NDF consultant, by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (CIDU-PNP) on April 3. The arrest was conducted serving the same warrant used against Alex Arias.

Witness Erwin Rosales who claims to be a rebel returnee also incriminated Rosemarie Domanais, Tirso Alcantara, Dionisio Almonte, Romel Riza, Raul Razo and Andrea Rosal, and 36 other aliases.
The name Ka Axel was also mentioned in the Warrant of Arrest and on the witness’ testimony.

The court readily accepted it.

More than being plainly ridiculous, this is the height of ignorance and sheer stupidity happening in the Philippine judicial process.

This is short of saying that the government can arrest and can just point its fingers to anyone and say that that person is using a certain alias. It will be more unfortunate if the alias indicated in a warrant happens to be a person’s real name.

Therefore anyone can be charged with Kidnapping with murder.

Following their ludicrous sense it also means that the court can safely “assume” that Axel Pinpin is the same person as “Ka Axel” in the said warrant.

Whether it was a typographical error or most probably, purposely done with malice—KASAMA-TK strongly condemns this filing of fabricated charges which indiscriminately targets leaders of progressive people’s organizations in Southern Tagalog Region and the whole country.

If the court will allow this evil scheme of PNP and AFP, it will make a spectacular carnival of fascist clowns and comic judges out of itself.

The case filed against Alex Arias and others is not much different with the evil design of filing trumped- up charges against ST-72, all of which were also dismissed last month. And so is the wholesale case against 27 individuals in the province of Batangas in 2008 and 62 individuals in the province of Rizal in 2009. All the said cases were also dismissed.

These were all concocted in the government’s futile and desperate attempt to clamp down on militant people’s organizations.

The RTC Branch No. 64 in the province of Quezon should therefore immediately dismiss the case to prevent more illegal arrests and detention of innocent civilians. The people on the other hand should be more vigilant against the dirty scheme of the government conveniently covering itself under the guise of Oplan Bayanihan of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Free Ka Alex Arias and Nante Gamara! Free all political prisoners in the country!

Condemn the continuing crackdown against the progressive organizations in Southern Tagalog!#

Source: www.facebook.com/notes/kasama-tk/name-game-continuing-crackdown-against-the-progressive-organizations-in-southern/401696043185990

Human Rights Online Philippines does not hold copyright over these materials. Author/s and original source/s of information are retained including the URL contained within the tagline and byline of the articles, news information, photos etc.