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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider NTF-ELCAC's bid to stop House inquiry into Cebu 'rescue" rejected

NTF-ELCAC's bid to stop House inquiry into Cebu 'rescue" rejected

Published May 26, 2021 05:11 pm

The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Council (NTF-ELCAC) on Wednesday, May 26, failed to stop the House Committee on Human Rights from investigating the alleged illegal arrest of Lumad students and teachers during a supposed “rescue operations” in Cebu City last February..

At the initial committee hearing of the Cebu City incident, teary eyed Mikay Haistin, one of the six students taken under police custody following the raid at the University of San Carlos in Cebu, claimed they were offered P10,000, an apparent bribe, during a press conference conducted by then Philippine National Police chief Gen. Debold Sinas.

NTF-ELCAC spokesman Marlon Bosantog got the solons' goat and took a beating from congressmen for insisting that the hearing h be postponed because the incident that triggered the filing of several criminal charges against arrested teachers and students were still “live”.

Irked by Bosantog’s attempts to question the authority of the human rights panel, Deputy Speaker and 1PACMAN Partylist Rep. Michael “Mikee” Romero threatened to cite him in contempt.

“You cannot question our ability to conduct an investigation, o I will cite you in contempt at this stage,” Romero warned Bosantog.

It was Romero, who delivered a privilege speech airing his concern over the plight of youths arrested by the police, who pushed for the conduct of a congressional inquiry.

Reacting to Bosantog’s claim that the cases filed by government against those arrested are still “live” and still open to appeal after it was dismissed by the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor of Davao del Norte, Quezon City Rep. Jesus “Bong” Suntay also warned the NTF-ELCAC spokesman that he could put the NTF-ELCAC “out of order.

Suntay also warned that he can have Bosantag removed from the proceedings if he will keep on questioning the authority of the committee to conduct its inquiry.

Senior Majority Leader and Cavite Rep. Crispin Remulla assailed Haistin’s testimony as a mere attempt to “appeal to emotion”, claiming that the 16-year-old student has been “radicalized and incompetent” to respond to question.

“The propaganda value of her statement can be quite alarming to government interest,” said Remulla.

Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate chided Remulla for pushing to stop Haistin from testifying.

“Bakit ba takot na takot kayo malaman ang katotohanan? (Why are you so afraid to know the truth?” he asked Remulla who responded by making the same accusation at Zarate.

Haistin recounted that it took a court to issue a writ of habeas corpus last March for her to be released to her parents by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

“Pinasuot rin po kami ng black shirt na may nakasulat na ‘“hands off our children” pero hindi po namin isinuot iyon sapagkat hindi po naman kami biktima ng kidnap,” said Haistin, recounting the time they were presented in a press conference by Sinas.

According to her they were offered P10,000 each but were not allowed to speak during the press briefing. She and her companions rejected the offer.

When Romero asked for a clarification, Haistin confirmed that the money was offered them by Gen. Sinas, himself.

Brig. Gen. Ronnie Montejo, director of PNP Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO 7), reacted to Haistin’s claim that the police operations at USC was not covered by either a warrant of arrest or search warrant.

Montejo said they coordinated with the USC and were allowed to enter the area where the Lumad school was being conducted on February 15.

“We found out that the Salogpungan school operates without any authority as approved by a certification from DepEd (Department of Education) and CHED (Commission on Higher Education). This is the basis for the rescue operation,” Montejo said.

USC Director Fr. Roger Bag-ao denied Montejo’s claim, saying that there was no police coordination before and after the PNP operations.

“On allegations that students were kidnapped, I do not know whether it is true; my observation is that students were taught in accordance with the DepED curriculum. I could not see a hint of kidnaping at all,” said Bag-ao, belying allegations by police that the Lumad schoolchildren were kidnapped and kept at the USC.

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