Urban poor group calls on the PNP-AFP to release two of its abducted leaders

PRESS RELEASE
08 February 2012

Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay), the country's largest urban poor alliance, calls on the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to release two of its Southern Tagalog leaders that were illegally arrested Tuesday afternoon in Laguna, and held at the headquarters of PNP Region IV-A in Canlubang, Calamba City.

The leaders are Evelyn Legaspi, Kadamay-ST Regional Council member, and Pastora Latagan, a regional staff. Legaspi and Latagan were reportedly abducted yesterday at around 5:30 PM in Barangay Maitim, Bay, Laguna by suspected elements of the police and military from the 202nd Infantry Brigade and 22nd military intelligence company. The two leaders are active in the area as they were coordinators of urban poor women doing some activities for the sector.

A press release from PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) this afternoon revealed the police are in custody of the two. KARAPATAN, a rights group, later learned that trumped up charges were filed against the victims which include cases of multiple attempted murder, multiple frustrated murder, and multiple murder.

"We call on the PNP and AFP to immediately release our leaders, without conditions, and dismiss all the trumped charges filed against the two," said Kadamay national secretary-general Gloria Arellano.

According to Kadamay, the said incident only proves that Palparan-inspired red-tagging and abduction of militant activists is being perpetrated by some officers among the ranks of the police and the military.

"Without a doubt, the recent illegal arrests done by the state forces are only part of the United States-backed Oplan Bayanihan, the counter-insurgency program of the Aquino administration that is behind the continuing rights violations including militarization of urban poor communities that face threats of demolitions and others which are considered bailiwicks of progressive groups," added Arellano.

The group also demanded for the Aquino government to respect the human rights of its people as guaranteed by the constitution and international humanitarian laws, and end the covert impunity that persists in this country, noting its highly dismal human right record.

"As Oplan Bayanihan, coercively and clandestinely violates the rights of those who stand against inequity and injustice, we will continue our call on every Filipino to rally behind the protection of our democratic rights as a people," she ended. ###