Supreme Court wants authorities to present NPA suspects

MANILA, Philippines - Police and military officials holding the 43 health workers arrested in Morong, Rizal last Saturday were ordered by the Supreme Court yesterday to present the detainees before the Court of Appeals (CA) this afternoon to determine whether they should be released.

The habeas corpus petition will be heard by the CA First Division under acting Presiding Justice Portia Hormachuelos.

Respondents Armed Forces chief Gen. Victor Ibrado and Philippine National Police chief Director General Jesus Verzosa were ordered to show cause why the 43 health workers should not be released from detention.

Yesterday, police charged the 43 health workers with illegal possession of explosives and firearms, and violation of the Commission on Elections gun ban before the Department of Justice.

Police presented six witnesses to bolster allegations that the 43 are New People’s Army rebels.

Rizal police director Senior Superintendent Jonathan Miano said among the witnesses were Inspector Rex Cuntapay, policemen from San Narciso, Quezon and a rebel returnee.

“Our witnesses were able to identify a big number of those arrested persons as active communist cadres,” he said.

Miano said Cuntapay identified two of the suspects as among those who took him and two of his men hostage after a fierce firefight in Rodriguez town a few years ago.

Cuntapay and the two policemen had seen the faces of their captors since they were moved from one place to another over a long period of time, he added.

Miano said three of the arrested health workers were among those who recently raided the San Narciso, Quezon police station and carried away firearms and equipment.

Miano said 40 of the health workers were arrested while holding lectures on bomb making.

The other three served as lookouts at the gate of the compound in Morong. Police secured a search warrant from the court and raided the rest house after receiving a tip from an informant, Miano said.

Military accused of planting evidence

A group of lawyers accused the military yesterday of planting evidence against the 43 health workers.

In a statement, the National Union of People’s Lawyers said the evidence presented was planted to justify and cover up the blunder of the soldiers and policemen.

“From the very beginning, the search itself was illegal, because it proceeded from a search warrant that was invalid on its face,” read the statement.

The NUPL said the arrested health workers were also denied their basic constitutional rights.

“They were purposely uninformed of the nature of their arrest, and they were simply blindfolded and led away like cattle,” read the statement.

The NUPL said the health workers were also denied visit by counsel, doctors and family, in clear contravention of their rights.

The NUPL accused the military of illegal arrest, arbitrary detention, torture and cruelty, and subjecting the victims to degrading and inhuman treatment.

The NUPL said they have also received reports from the detained health workers that the military had subjected them to torture, both physical and mental.

“It is deplorable that the military was determined to showcase their brute force and superior strength by sending eight military trucks, two armored personnel carriers, and at least 300 heavily armed soldiers and policemen to arrest 43 unarmed health workers,” read the statement.

“By the way, these health workers, according to the military, are members of the New People’s Army.

“In fact, the military does not suspect it; the military is 101 percent sure that these workers have communist ties.

“But they are legitimate health workers, doing legitimate health outreach projects. Among them are doctors, nurses, and medical aides, who have chosen to devote themselves to helping the local community by bringing the medical missions to them, since the government is unable or refuses to do it.” – Edu Punay, Non Alquitran, Michael Punongbayan