Baybay City arrests: CHR-8: No one wants to file raps vs cops yet

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines  â€” A team of the Commission on Human Rights-8 have gone to Baybay City twice last week to investigate the alleged illegal arrests and detention of some supporters of mayoralty bet Malot Veloso Galenzoga after a police-military raid of her house in the city at dawn of July 1.

The team found out that at least 40 have remained in detention as of last Sunday but charges were already filed against them in relation to the violent protest rally at the City Hall in the afternoon of June 30, which resulted in injuries to many and damages to government properties.

When asked if there was anyone of the 40 detainees who would like to file a complaint against the police for illegal arrest, none wanted to, said CHR-8 director Paquito Nacino. “Even those who were beaten up have documents to attest to their injuries, but they refused to issue affidavits to help the CHR-8 in the investigation and file cases against those responsible,” he said.

Last July 5 (Friday), probers have found four who were in detention but without any charges, so they advised the police to release them. The police obliged but Nacino said there was already a violation of illegal detention, considering that the Friday release was already past the lawful period of detention. “The CHR-8 has the documents to validate the period of detention, even without charges, and the time of their release,” he said.

“The only problem here is that the CHR-8 could not act on this because there was no complaint, even from the four illegally detained. My team who went to Baybay asked them if they will file a case against the police, but then not one of them was interested,” said Nacino.

Nacino said these four told the CHR-8 team that “they only wanted to be freed from jail , but they would not file any complaint against the police,” for fear that nobody will back them up as the case progresses.

These people, represented by lawyer Winston Chua, have so far refused to file complaints against the police, although the CHR-8 and the lawyer have been convincing them to do so, and help the commission act on these cases against those who violated the law on detention, he said.

“Up to now, the CHR-8 has nothing in its hands until these people will finally execute their complaint-affidavits against the police. The CHR-8 however could not compel them to do so because that will be a violation of the law, but there is still hope that might change their minds,” said Nacino.

Nacino said these people can still file their complaints later and, if they are afraid of reprisal, they can always contact me and the CHR office for help. “We can meet them at any place they feel safe and eventually file the complaints. That will be the time that the CHR can finally act on this matter,” he said.

There were unconfirmed reports also that some of those released had already fled Baybay to relatively safer place, vowing not to get involved anymore in this political battle. A source from the Galenzoga camp had told The Freeman yesterday that complaint-affidavits were being readied for filing although this has yet to be confirmed.

In the case of Galenzoga, who is until now at-large, Nacino learned that a case was already filed against her by Mayor Carmen Cari, although he was uncertain what were these charges filed.

Nacino said he was informed that Galenzoga had been complaining of illegal arrests and detention against the police, besides the damages allegedly caused by the raiding team on her residences, such as millions worth of lost pieces of jewelry, and on her high-end vehicles parked inside the compound.

But then, “Until Galenzoga files her complaint at the CHR, these will remain allegations. Only she can testify on these and we urge her to come to us, contact us and execute her affidavits so that we can act accordingly,” Nacino added. —Edgar Allan Vilbar with reports from Alex Galagar (FREEMAN)