Bayan Denounces Surveillance of Ocampo

The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan slammed the surveillance of Bayan Muna Representative Satur Ocampo by suspected military and police agents.

Based on news reports, at around 6:00 this morning, six suspected military and police agents in civilian clothes positioned themselves in front and at the vicinity of Ocampo’s house at Soldiers Hills, Quezon City. Ocampo just arrived from a Human Rights Mission in Canada from April 11.

His security personnel spotted three motorcycles, two agents each motorcycle, carrying short firearms. Two sports utility vehicles (a green and white Honda CRV) were spotted conducting surveillance in the vicinity of Ocampo’s house.

Amy Padilla, chief of staff of Ocampo said that the surveillance and apparent harassment directed against Rep. Ocampo is likely connected to the latest trumped-up murder charges filed last April 18, against him, Rep. Teddy Casiño also of Bayan Muna, Gabriela Rep. Liza Maza, and former Anakpawis Rep. Rafael Mariano. There are no warrants of arrest yet issued by the court against them.

Dr. Carol Araullo, Bayan chairperson, said, “Just after Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita lied about the Arroyo regime’s so-called measures to address the killings and rights abuses before the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, the Inter-Agency Legal Action Group (IALAG) is back to using trumped-up criminal charges against the US-backed Arroyo regime dissenters and critics.”

In his paper regarding the Supreme Court decision on the rebellion charges against the “Batasan Six,” legal counsel of the Romeo T. Capulong said that the ‘evidence’ submitted by the prosecutors, with the assistance of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police, are mostly printed materials which are irrelevant, immaterial, hearsay, spurious, unauthenticated and inadmissible. Araullo said, “It seems that the IALAG and Malacañang, after getting a slap from the High Court, has not learned their lessons and continue to employ such lousy tactics.”

Dr. Carol Araullo, Bayan chairperson, said, “We condemn the Arroyo regime’s continuing political persecution of its critics and opponents. We can only conclude this administration has no intention of heeding the timely recommendations of United Nations Special Rapporteur Philip Alston. In particular we refer to the abolition of the Inter-Agency Legal Action Group (IALAG), that is responsible for case build-up and the filing of trumped-up charges against progressive leaders of the democratic movement and a stop to the dangerous practice of branding activist organizations and their supporters as so-called communist fronts.”

Alston visited the Philippines in 2007 and laid out recommendations to address the spate of extra-judicial killings and the deteriorating human rights situation in the Philippines.

“The political persecution is an important component of the counter-insurgency program of the Arroyo regime. Alston himself correctly pointed out that the counter-insurgency program is the framework for the killings and other abuses,” Araullo said.

Araullo said that the Arroyo regime’s continuing repression manifests its isolation from the people and its desperation to cling to power. “These attempts will not silence the growing movement for the ouster of Mrs. Arroyo. The people will not cower in fear before a tyrant. We call on all concerned citizens to protest this latest case of political persecution and not allow a repeat of the shamefully unjust Batasan 6 episode.”#