Militants hit PNP for ‘illegal’ arrestsSha

Sunday, August 26, 2012
A PROGRESSIVE youth group condemned what they call an illegal arrest and detention by Talomo police of some of its members who tried to stop the demolition of houses at the disputed Bariquit compound in Bugac, Maa on Friday.
The contested property is part of Le Jardin Subdivision owned by the Villa Abrilles.

Those arrested were identified as Joselito Lagon Jr., regional spokesperson of Kabataang Artista para sa Tunay na Kalayaan (Karatula); Wyrlo Enero, a member of the League of Filipino Students (LFS); Johnny Boy Urbina and John Michale Lim, both members of Anakbayan.
Anakbayan appealed for the immediate release of the four.
"We are outraged by the demonstration of fascism by the Talomo police who arrested, beat up and electrocuted our youth leaders," says Cherry Orendain, regional spokesperson for Anakbayan.
She said Lagon, Urbina and Lim were seized at the demolition site while Enero was arrested at the police station.
She said Lagon, Urbina and Lim are sued for direct assault and disobedience, resistance to an agent of person in authority.
Lim, on the other hand, is charged with physical injuries and Enero with destruction of government property and resisting arrest of person in authority.
Orendain claimed the four accused were beaten by members of the Talomo police while inside the detention cell.
She said Rodolfo Silawan, student and also a member of Anakbayan, was punched by an unidentified policeman while leaving the demolition site.
"Since 2011, the Villa Abrilles attempted to get rid of the residents of the compound in order to develop the area into a subdivision, claiming that it was legally theirs," Orendain said.
Anakbayan will hold a series of vigil and protest actions to demand for the release of the four.
Meanwhile, Superintendent Dionisio Abude, chief of Talomo police, denied accusation he owns the security agency that provides private guards to Le Jardin Subdivision.
He admitted his wife owns the Makabayan Security Agency since 1998, but that none of the Villa Abrille's security guards is their personnel.
Protesters from the Bayan Muna, Karapatan, and Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, among others, believe the masked armed men seen during the commotion with residents at Bariquit Compound were personnel of Abude's security agency.
Abude also said that based on their initial investigation, the four activists were arrested after they threw stones during the demolition of houses.
"Sa dihang gina-aresto na sila sa atong mga kaubanan... mipalag sila mao tong na samad sa ilong si PO3 Marcelo Cubeta unya na gisi pa jud iyang uniporme (the suspects resisted the arrest the reason PO3 Cubeta was injured)," Abude said.
The police on Friday afternoon immediately filed charges of direct assault, disobedience and resistance to the agent or person in authority, malicious mischief, and physical injuries before the City Prosecution Office.
In a videotape of Lagon's account of their arrest, he said, he was in a human barricade trying to stop the backhoe when they were arrested.
"Ako naga-video lang ko, giingnan ko nga ikaw, gahapon pa ka naga-video-video diha, dakpa pud na (I was documenting the even when someone from the police's ranks said, 'This one has been taking videos since yesterday, arrest him,'" he said.
"Mao tong gipadakop ko nila, gikuryentehan ko nila mao tong gitamak-tamakan ko (That was when I was electrocuted with a stun gun and throttled on the ground)," he added.
He accused a "goon" from the Villa Abrille side of hitting him while he was being accompanied to the police car. He was boxed by a policeman as they reached the police vehicle, he said.
Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on August 27, 2012.

No comments:

Post a Comment