Quezon City court acquits 10 rights defenders of perjury 

MANILA, Philippines — The Quezon City Metropolitan Trial Court (MTC) has acquitted 10 human rights defenders belonging to Karapatan, Gabriela and Rural Missionaries of the Philip-pines (RMP) of perjury in connection with a case filed by former national security adviser Hermogenes Esperon in 2019.

“For failure of the prosecution to establish beyond reasonable doubt that all accused made a willful and deliberate assertion of a falsehood, they must perforce be acquitted,” the dis-positive portion of the 45-page decision penned by Judge Aimee Marie Alcera read.

Cleared of perjury were Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay and council members Elisa Lubi, Roneo Clamor, Edita Burgos, Rev. Wilfredo Ruazol, Krista Dalena and Jose Mari

Callueng; Gabriela’s human rights coordinator Gertrudes Libang and chairperson and former secretary general Joan May Salvador, as well as RMP national coordinator Sr. Elenita Belardo.

In his complaint-affidavit filed before the Quezon City prosecutor’s office in July 2019, Esperon alleged that the human rights defenders committed perjury when they stated in their pe-tition for a writ of amparo and habeas data filed before the Supreme Court (SC) on May 6, 2019 that the RMP is “duly registered as a non-stock, non-profit corporation under Philippine laws.”

Esperon said the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) revoked the Certificate of Registration of RMP on Aug. 20, 2003 for its failure to submit the required general information sheets and financial statements from 1997 to 2003.

During the preliminary investigation, Belardo asserted the RMP’s belief in good faith that its application for re-registration with the SEC had been approved, presenting proof of the RMP’s submissions of general information sheet and audited financial statement that the commission continued to receive in the past years.

Karapatan, Gabriela and RMP asserted that Esperson’s complaint was in retaliation for the complaints filed by the groups against him and other military officials under the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte in connection with killings and harassment of activists and human rights defenders.

Esperon was among the respondents in a complaint that Karapatan and RMP filed before the Commission on Human Rights on March 13, 2019.

He was also among the respondents in the petition for a writ of amparo that the human rights groups filed before the SC.
In their petition, the groups sought relief from the high tribunal, citing what they described as the “intensifying attacks on their members” such as death threats, surveillance, red tag-ging, vilification and killings.

Last December, 60 international non-government organizations and human rights organizations from 24 countries released a joint statement of support for the human rights defenders.
“This is a victory of truth and justice against lies and enemies of the people who instigated this form of judicial harassment against us, after our efforts to seek legal protection from threats and attacks,” Palabay said in a statement yesterday. - Ralph Edwin Villanueva