Seven lawmakers on Thursday sought a congressional probe into what they claimed as the planting of evidence allegedly being used against the critics of the Duterte administration.
In House Resolution 2305, the members of the Makabayan Bloc urged the House Committee on Human Rights and the Special Committee on Peace, Unity and Reconciliation to jointly investigate in aid of legislation the reported planting of evidence and filing of trumped-up charges by police and military authorities against activist and critics of the government, including consultants in the government’s negotiations with the communist rebels.
The bloc is composed of Party-list Representatives Carlos Zarate of Bayan Muna, Antonio Tinio and France Castro of ACT Teachers, Emmi de Jesus and Arlene Brosas of Gabriela, Ariel Casilao of Anakpawis and Sarah Elago of Kabataan.
The bloc sought the probe even as Senator Panfilo Lacson described as “unfair” the negative portrayal of policemen in the television series Ang Probinsyano as earlier stated by Philippine National Police Chief Oscar Albayalde.
He reminded the public that the use of police uniforms in the show was a violation of the law.
“Let’s face it: The PNP has done a lot of good deeds, and especially now,” said Lacson, a former police chief.
“I think it’s unfair to portray the PNP like that.”
The Makabayan Bloc filed the resolution following the arrest of National Democratic Front of the Philippines consultant Vic Ladlad over his alleged illegal possession of firearms and explosives.
“The planting of supposed evidence, particularly firearms and explosives, is now becoming a serious pattern among security forces to unjustly charge the victims like Ladlad, Baylosis and Silva with non-bailable charges, placing them behind bars while cases are being litigated,” the resolution says.
The bloc said such scheme also violates the letter and intent of the Joint Agreement on Security and Immunity Guarantees, signed between the Philippine government and the NDFP in 1995. The JASIG supposedly protects people involved in the peace talks from surveillance, arrests, detention, prosecution, interrogation and other form of harassment during the negotiations, the resolution says.
But the Palace earlier said the sudden arrest of National Democratic Front of the Philippines peace consultant Vicente Ladlad was not a violation of the provisions of the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees.
Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo then said the JASIG, an agreement that essentially guarantees the immunity and safety of individuals involved in the peace talks, was not currently in force as the peace talks between the Duterte administration and the NDFP had been terminated.
“The JASIG is operative only if there are peace talks ongoing, but that has been terminated by the proclamation of the President on November 23, 2017. Secondly, the crime of rebellion is a continuing crime and therefore no warrant of arrest is needed for that,” Panelo said.
He said other consultants covered by the JASIG could be arrested any time since the peace talks had been terminated.
Ladlad, a long-time activist and peace advocate, was arrested last week by the police.
Communist Party of the Philippines founding chairman Jose Maria Sison was quick to speculate that Ladlad could have been framed by the Duterte administration as he claimed there was no warrant of arrest issued against the NDFP consultant.
Earlier reports said Ladlad was arrested for illegal possession of firearms and explosives in Novaliches, Quezon City.
Armed Forces Chief Carlito Galvez Jr. praised the law enforcement agents and the concerned citizen who helped in Ladlad’s arrest.
