Publicinfo | IP LEADER RELEASED ON BAIL AS TRUMPED UP CASES VS PROGRESSIVE ORGANIZATIONS TREND IN CARAGA

Publicinfo: Aug 23 01:35PM +0800

Reference: Naty Castro, Karapatan Caraga +639071009904
23 August 2014


August 23, Surigao City – KATRIBU Partylist National Vice Chairperson and Kahugpungan sa mga Lumadnong Organisasyon sa Caraga (KASALO Caraga) Secretary General Genasque Enriquez was released after posting bail on three alleged frustrated murder charges before Judge Victor Canoy of the
RTC Branch 29 in Surigao City at 11:45 am today.


After his arrest on August 22, concerned citizens and organizations immediately trooped to the Surigao City Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) office to ensure his safety. Among the quick
reaction teams to respond was the Sisters Association in Mindanao (SAMIN) led by Sr. Noemi Degala, SMSM and Sr.Stella Matutina, OSB.


His bail was posted with the assistance and immediate support of progressive grassroots organizations, church people and civil society organizations and institutions based in the Caraga region. His arrest has
also met with widespread protest among national and international human rights and IP organizations that he has engaged with in his work.

“This is clearly another case of state harassment against progressive leaders and organizations to silence us amid the mounting public clamor for change. What is dangerous is that 101 John Does have been included in the warrant that was used to arrest him ”, said Karapatan-Caraga Secretary General Naty Castro.

Members of peasant organization, Unyon sa Mag-uuma sa Agusan del Norte – Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (UMAN – KMP) Armando Toreta and Eutiquio Bulat-ag were also arrested separately on trumped up murder charges and are still detained in Butuan City to date.

“These trumped up charges are trending in Caraga. There have been names of civilians, leaders and members of progressive organizations, that were maliciously added on to criminal cases filed by the AFP in the civilian courts, connecting them with known NPA offensives.”, claried Castro. “With utter disregard to due process, just like Genasque, they are not given the chance to respond to complaints at the investigation stage before these cases are filed and warrants of arrest are issued.”

“This is a disturbing trend to further curtail our civil liberties. Human rights defenders like Genasque Enriquez are put at risk because of their public defense on the side of the poor and the powerless, who have only their people’s organization as a weapon against tyranny and abuse. The Aquino Administration is no different from the previous Arroyo Regime in its total disregard for human rights and due process,” concluded Castro.#




 
 

Press Statement | Karapatan calls for release of arrested anti-pork activist, indigenous people’s leader in Surigao City

publicinfo: Aug 23 11:16AM +0800  Press Statement August 23, 2014 Reference: Cristina “Tinay” Palabay, Secretary General, +63917-3162831 Angge Santos, Media Liaison, +63918-9790580 http://www.karapatan.org/Karapatan+calls+for+release+of+arrested+anti-pork+activist%2C+indigenous+people%E2%80%99s+leader+in+Surigao+City “Malacañang is a factory of trumped-up charges against activists and those who are demanding that BS Aquino be held accountable for the presidential pork aka DAP,” said Cristina Palabay, Karapatan secretary general when the human rights organization received reports yesterday on the arrest of an anti-pork activist and an indigenous people’s leader in Surigao City Genasque Enriquez, a Manobo leader was arrested yesterday, August 22 at 1:00 p.m. after attending a People’s Congress for People’s Initiative and a press conference in Surigao City. The press conference was a send-off for those attending the People’s Initiative against Pork Barrel today in Cebu City. Enriquez was among the panelists in the press conference. After the send-off, members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), Philippine National Police-Surigao City and the 30thInfantry Battalion of the Philippine Army (IBPA) seized Enriquez. He was falsely charged with frustrated murder using an alias warrant. He was brought to the CIDG detention center at the Surigao City Hall and later, around 8 p.m., to the Surigao City PNP Jail. “The warrant of arrest used against Enriquez was dated March 25, 2013, issued during the election campaign period, clearly meant to harass and intimidate Enriquez. His arrest yesterday happened as the campaign for People’s Initiative against the pork barrel system is about to take off. *Magsisimula pa lang, pikon na si BS Aquino*,” said Palabay. The People’s Initiative against the Pork Barrel is set to launch a signature campaign at a people’s congress in Cebu City on August 23. Expected to attend are Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma and former Chief Justice Reynato Puno, leaders and members of Karapatan and other progressive people’s organizations, and various anti-pork/anti-DAP groups. Enriquez is the Vice Chairperson of Katribu Partylist and its second nominee in the 2013 elections. He is also the Secretary General of Kasalo-Caraga or the Kahugpungan sa mga Lumadnong Organisasyon-Caraga (Kasalo-Caraga), a regional alliance of Lumad groups in Caraga. An indefatigable leader of indigenous people in the region and at the national level, Enriquez co-headed a delegation of human rights activists, indigenous people, farmers, victims of human rights violations and their kin to Manila in December 2012 to seek justice for human rights abuses under the Aquino administration and to protest the destruction of ancestral lands by large scale mining operations and plantations. Enriquez previously faced trumped up charges of murder and frustrated murder, associating him with known offensives of the New People’s Army, which were later dropped by the Office of the Prosecutor and Department of Justice after further investigation for lack of evidence. As his experience in the previous case he faced, he has not received any notice of complaints filed against him from the Surigao del Sur Prosecutor’s Office, thus depriving him of his right to respond to the complaint as per due process. They failed to inform him of the current cases which were the bases of the alias warrant that was served to him during his arrest. Palabay recalled that the filing of trumped-up charges against activists to arrest and detain them was widely practiced during the Macapagal-Arroyo administration, especially during the period when many political blocs and personalities were calling for her resignation or ouster. “Malacañang is getting desperate to save the sinking ship of BS Aquino, thus it attempts to silence activists via trumped up charges and arrests.We demand that the fabricated criminal charges against Enriquez be dropped and that he be immediately released from detention,” Palabay concluded. -------------------------------------------------------------------- PUBLIC INFORMATION DESKpublicinfo@karapatan.org <publicinfo@karapatan.org> --------------------------------------------------------------------- Alliance for the Advancement of People's Rights 2nd Flr. Erythrina Bldg., #1 Maaralin corner Matatag Sts., Central DistrictDiliman, Quezon City, PHILIPPINES 1101 Telefax: (+63 2) 4354146  Web:http://www.karapatan.org

KASALO-Caraga SecGen and KATRIBU 2nd nominee GENASQUE ENRIQUEZ arrested on trumped up frustrated murder cases Case

 Political Persecution, Illegal Arrest, Illegal Detention on Trumped Up Charges

Victim/s: GENASQUE B. ENRIQUEZ

Male, 41 years old, father of 4, Secretary General of Kasalo-Caraga and second nominee of KATRIBU Partylist

Place of Incident:   Dale’s Food House, Rizal St., Surigao City

Date of Incident:    August 22, 2014 at around 1 o’clock in the afternoon

Alleged Perpetrator(s): Philippine National Police-Surigao City, 30^th IB PA and elements of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

Account of the Incident:

At around 1 o’clock in the afternoon of August 22, 2014, GENASQUE B. ENRIQUEZ was arrested in Surigao City, by virtue of an alias warrant of arrest issued against him in March 25, 2013 by the Regional Trial Court Branch 28 of Lianga, Surigao del Sur. Three counts of frustrated murder (Frustrated murder case no. L-2540) have been filed against him by elements of the Philippine Army.

Enriquez was about to leave Dale’s Food House in Rizal St., Surigao City when members of the PNP-Surigao City, 30^th IB PA and the CIDG arrested him. Genasque just came from a press conference held by members of the Abolish Pork Movement (APM) and representatives of people’s organizations in Caraga in the same restaurant. The group was scheduled to travel to Cebu City tonight to attend the People’s Congress to Abolish Pork through the People’s Initiative Bill on August 23. 

The members of the police, military and the CIDG took Enriquez and brought him to the CIDG detention center at the Surigao City Hall where he is currently detained.

Genasque B. Enriquez is the current Secretary General of Kasalo-Caraga. He has been a victim of intimidation and harassment committed by elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines operating in Caraga. He has been among those in the forefront to demand the respect of human rights of the indigenous people (IP), expose human rights violations committed by operating troops of the Armed Forces of the Philippines against the indigenous people and communities and protesting against the destruction of ancestral lands by large scale mining operations and plantations. He has been vilified countless times by officials and spokespersons of the AFP on air during radio interviews and in face-to-face negotiations and dialogues. 

Kasalo Caraga has been accused without basis for being a front of the CPP-NPA because of its staunch support for grassroots IP organizations,its anti-largescale mining campaign and human rights work.  Enriquez has previously faced trumped up charges of murder and frustrated murder, associating him with known offensives of the NPA which were later dropped by the Office of the Prosecutor and Department of Justice after further investigation.

As his experience in the previous case he faced, he has not received any notice of complaints filed against him from the Surigao del Sur Prosecutor’s Office, thus depriving him of his right to respond to the complaint as per due process.  They failed to inform him of the current cases that were the basis of the alias warrant that was served to him during his arrest.  

Karapatan-Caraga believes that the charges made against Genasque B. Enriquez are trumped up cases and his subsequent arrest was aimed at silencing him and his organization.

Recommended Action:

Send letters, emails or fax messages calling for:

1.    The immediate release of GENASQUE ENRIQUEZ.

2.    Immediately withdraw the frustrated murder charges against GENASQUE ENRIQUEZ.

3.    Immediately release GENASQUE ENRIQUEZ from detention.

4.    The Philippine Government to observe the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and all the major human rights instruments that it is a party and signatory to.

5.    To stop political persecution, illegal arrests, detention on perceived enemies of the Philippine Government.

You may send your communications to:

H.E. Benigno C. Aquino III

President of the Republic

Malacañang Palace,

JP Laurel St., San Miguel

Manila Philippines

Voice: (+632) 564 1451 to 80

Fax: (+632) 742-1641 / 929-3968

E-mail: op@president.gov.ph

Sec. Teresita Quintos-Deles

Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process

Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP)

7th Floor Agustin Building I

Emerald Avenue

Pasig City 1605

Voice:+63 (2) 636 0701 to 066

Fax:+63 (2) 638 2216

stqd.papp@opapp.gov.ph

Ret. Lt. Gen. Voltaire T. Gazmin

Secretary, Department of National Defense

Room 301 DND Building, Camp Emilio Aguinaldo,

E. de los Santos Avenue, Quezon City

Voice:+63(2) 911-6193 / 911-0488 / 982-5600

Fax:+63(2) 982-5600

Email: osnd@philonline.com, dnd.opla@gmail.com 

Atty. Leila De Lima

Secretary, Department of Justice

Padre Faura St., Manila

Direct Line 521-1908

Trunkline 523-84-81 loc.211/214

Fax: (+632) 523-9548

Email: lmdelima@doj.gov.ph, lmdelima.doj@gmail.com,lmdelima.doj2@gmail.com

Hon. Loretta Ann P. Rosales

Chairperson, Commission on Human Rights

SAAC Bldg., UP Complex

Commonwealth Avenue

Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines

Voice: (+632) 928-5655, 926-6188

Fax: (+632) 929 0102

Email: chair.rosales.chr@gmail.com, lorettann@gmail.com

Please send us a copy of your email/mail/fax to the above-named government officials, to our addresses below:

KARAPATAN CARAGA

2^nd Floor, Gabriela Women’s Resource Center

Fourth Street, Guingona Subdivision

Butuan City 8600

Agusan del Norte

Philippines

karapatancaraga@gmail.com

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Jardeleza appointment, another Aquino ploy to keep Hacienda Luisita

Source Verification:

Gi Estrada

UMA Media Officer

+639166114181

The recent controversial appointment of former Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court (SC) is another brazen maneuver by President BS Aquino for him to be able to continue corrupt practices as Pork Barrel King and to secure Cojuangco-Aquino interests in Hacienda Luisita.

As Solicitor-General, Jardeleza repeatedly echoed the Cojuangco-Aquinos’s position, practically undermining the SC’s landmark decision on land distribution and truthful accounting of Hacienda Luisita, Inc. (HLI) assets. As Justice, Jardeleza is expected by BS Aquino to defend and eventually declare “legal” the sham land distribution implemented by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and all other anomalies by the Aquino regime in Hacienda Luisita.  

Jardeleza defended the DAR before the SC last year by arguing that the DAR is correct to oblige beneficiaries to pay amortization, and accurate in its land survey even with the glaring and indefensible deduction of hundreds of hectares of agricultural land for distribution to farmworkers. 

Jardeleza contributed to the cover-up of the Cojuangcos’ anomalous transactions when he argued that technically, as party to the case, the HLI -- or the Cojuangcos -- must have a say in the appointment of an auditing firm that will scrutinize its books on the P 1.33 Billion proceeds of sale that the Cojuangcos owe its co-owners, the farmworkers. This intervention caused much delay that until now, the auditing process remains in a standstill. Disgruntled Luisita farmworkers are still deprived of their rightful share. Land and justice remain elusive to Luisita farmworkers.       

Jardeleza also upheld the DAR’s refusal to recognize the “bungkalan” land cultivation campaign initiated by farm workers in 2005, which has now led to the eviction of hundreds of farmers and wanton destruction of more than a hundred hectares of ricefields and foodcrop plantations in Hacienda Luisita. Jardeleza’s rabid defense of Cojuangco-Aquino landlord interests has led to gross human rights violations and extensive loss of livelihood in several Luisita villages.

There is still a pending SC motion by the Alyansa ng Manggagawang Bukid ng Asyenda Luisita (AMBALA) to cite DAR and Cojuangco firm TADECO in contempt of the high court’s landmark decision. Farmworkers do not expect truth and justice to prevail with a Cojuangco lawyer in the Supreme Court.

Aquino appointed Jardeleza to the SC under very controversial circumstances. The former solicitor general who defended the government in the PDAF and DAP cases would naturally defend the position and interests of the Pork Barrel King who appointed him.  Jardeleza will naturally present his previous arguments to defend the Cojuangcos in pending SC motions on the sham land distribution in Hacienda Luisita.

This power trip Jardeleza appointment once again demonstrates BS Aquino’s megalomania – the Pork Barrel King is interested only in his self-preservation. Hacienda Luisita farmworkers will join the Manila launch of the people's initiative against the pork barrel and Million People March in Luneta on August 25. 

Farmworkers can only pin their hopes for genuine land reform and justice in the movement to oust this despotic landlord president.  

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Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura

(Agricultural Workers Union)

Philippines

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Press Statement | Arrest of Palparan an indictment of the AFP hierarchy—Karapatan

publicinfo: Aug 21 11:20AM +0800  Press Statement August 21, 2014 Reference: Cristina “Tinay” Palabay, Secretary General, +63917-3162831 Angge Santos, Media Liaison, +63918-9790580 Arrest of Palparan an indictment of the AFP hierarchy—Karapatan <http://www.karapatan.org/Arrest+of+Palparan+an+indictment+of+the+AFP+hierarchy>      Not contended with the exaggerated security measures, the call for transfer to military custody or additional deployment of military in the jail to secure him, a group in the military under the “Free Jovito Palparan Movement” now says they are ready to ‘take the bullet for Palparan’.   “This mutual admiration among high officials in the military and Palparan is not surprising because the arrest of Palparan is an indictment of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and all that it stands for—impunity, human rights violations, protection of big business and the landlords,” said Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay.   “The military can take the bullet for Palparan but why can’t they face the public? Because they are not protecting democracy as they would want the public to believe. It’s about protecting the interests of the landlords, the big business, and the government bureaucrats, including the plunderers and killing all those who oppose their greed,” she added. Palabay challenged the men and women in the AFP to show their love for democracy “by taking the side of the people, especially the poor peasants and workers who are deprived of lands, decent jobs and wages, housing, and education. Let the Años, the Catapangs defend Palparan and his breed in the AFP. Let them take the bullet for Palparan against the people they are sworn to protect. Let them face the people’s wrath and in jail, they rot.” --------------------------------------------------------------------- PUBLIC INFORMATION DESKpublicinfo@karapatan.org <publicinfo@karapatan.org> --------------------------------------------------------------------- Alliance for the Advancement of People's Rights2nd Flr. Erythrina Bldg., #1Maaralin corner Matatag Sts., Central District Diliman, Quezon City, PHILIPPINES 1101 Telefax: (+63 2) 4354146  Web:http://www.karapatan.org KARAPATAN is an alliance of human rights organizations and programs, human rights desks and committees of people’s organizations, and individual advocates committed to the defense and promotion of people’s rights and civil liberties. It monitors and documents cases of human rights violations, assists and defends victims and conducts education, training and campaign.

News Release | Martial law activists renew call "No to dictatorship! Never Again to Martial law!"

News release

21 August 2014

Reference:Marie Hilao-Enriquez, SELDA chairperson, Mobile (02) 546-6573

"We ousted a dictator before. We can do it again!"

This is how the martial law victims and their relatives expressed their resolve not to allow the resurrection of dark days of martial law.

Martial law victims trooped at the Aquino residence in Times Street, Quezon City to remind Pres. Aquino that it was not just former Sen. Benigno Aquino who fought the former dictator. 

"The Filipino people opposed the fascist, bureaucrat-capitalist and imperialist character the Marcos regime long before the late Sen. Ninoy Aquino was assasinated, and long before martial law was declared," said Marie Hilao-Enriquez, activist and political prisoner during martial law.

They held placards bearing signs that shouted  "Biktima ni Macoy noon, biktima ni Noynoy ngayon! No to Dictatorship! Never again to Martial Law!"  

"We remain vigilant and defiant to any sitting President who pretends to be ‘pro-people, pro-democracy and patriotic.’” The country's situation has not significantly changed from the time of former dictator Marcos up to Noynoy Aquino's administration. The country remains under the shackles of corruption, subservience to U.S. imperialist policies and state repression. Now, Noynoy Aquino wants to perpetuate himself in power by amending the Philippine Constitution and clipping the powers of the judiciary.  His regime is set on further selling out the national patrimony.  Noynoy Aquino is doing a Marcos," Enriquez, chairperson of SELDA, said. 

"The Filipino people will not take these sitting down. We call on our fellow Filipinos to do the same during the fascist regime of Marcos.  Makibaka, Huwag Matakot!" Enriquez concluded. ### 

PHOTO CREDITS: SELDA

-- 

The Samahan ng Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto (SELDA) is an organization of former political prisoners in the Philippines. Founded on December 4, 1984, SELDA was initiated by newly-released political prisoners of the martial law period.  SELDA’s primary task is to work for the release of all political prisoners and to see to it that humane treatment of those who are still in detention are complied with by the Philippine authorities.  SELDA advocates justice for current and former political prisoners.  It calls for the mobilisation of resources in support of political prisoners, former detainees and their families.  It carries out legislative advocacy for the indemnification and rehabilitation of political prisoners. SELDA goes into partnership and builds solidarity with concerned individuals and groups for the freedom and welfare of political prisoners and all victims of tyranny. 

SELDA National Office: 2/F, Erythrina Bldg., #1 Maaralin corner Matatag Streets, 

Brgy. Central District, Diliman, Quezon City 1101, Philippines

Tel: 632-4347486 Fax: 632-4354146 

Email: selda...@gmail.com, selda...@yahoo.com.ph 

Web: www.seldapilipinas.wordpress.com