Kin of arrested farmers file for Writ of Amparo
Relatives of two farmers in Negros Oriental, who were arrested on suspicion that they were members of the New People’s Army, yesterday asked the Court of Appeals-Visayas for a Writ of Amparo to compel the government to present the two and release them from military custody.
Carmen Arante, petitioning for her 53-year-old husband Flaviano, and Rosalia Yanoc, for her 18-year-old son Reynaldo Carillo, filed the petition for the issuance of a Writ of Amparo. They were assisted by members of the human rights group, Karapatan-Central Visayas.
Respondents to the petition were President Gloria Arroyo herself, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Hermogenes Esperon, and military officials Lt. Gen. Victor Ibrado, commanding officer of the AFP-Central Command; Lt. Col. Oscar Lasangue, head of 3rd Civil Relations Group; Major Nathaniel Villasor, civil military operations officer (303rd Infantry Brigade); Lt. Col. Romeo Basco, commanding officer (61st Infantry Battalion), and a certain 2Lt. Pututan and 1Lt. Rodrigo Jimena, both of Bravo Company.
“Flaviano’s rights to life, liberty and security on his person is being threatened and trampled upon in his continued illegal detention incommunicado and the petitioners’ fear that Flaviano is, at the least, being tortured is well-grounded,” the petition read.
The petition also asked the court to allow an inspection of the 303rd Infantry Brigade headquarters at
The petitioners further asked the respondents to produce relevant documents, papers, books, accounts, letters, photographs, objects or tangible things, or objects in digitized or electronic form, which constitute or contain evidences relevant to the petition.
Carmen and Rosalia had also requested for a temporary protection order from the court for fear of their lives.
Carmen alleged that last January 25 soldiers forcibly took Flaviano, a resident of barangay Nagbinlod in Sta. Catalina, Negros Oriental. Flaviano was an official of the local Nagkahiusang Mag-uuma sa Sta. Catalina group but was suspected to be a rebel.
Members of the 61st IB, under the command of a certain 2LT Pututan and 1Lt Jimenea, arrived at the Arante house and took Flaviano, said Carmen adding that one of the soldiers even told her that they will just “borrow” her husband for two days. However, Flaviano has not returned since, she said.
Carmen said that her son Anie reportedly saw his father at the 12th IB detachment at barangay Nagbinlod in Sta. Catalina, and narrated that Flaviano was very weak and had confided to him that he had been tortured by his abductors.
Rosalia Yanoc, for her part, said that soldiers took her son Reynaldo from their house at barangay Talalac in Sta. Catalina last December 7 and he has not returned home since then. Reynaldo has also been accused of being an NPA member, she said.
The complainants said they tried before to report the abductions to local authorities but no one was able to help them. They added that they tried to have the incidents recorded in the police blotter but they alleged that the police refused. — Fred P. Languido/RAE
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