The two environmental activists may have been threatened to recant their testimonies that they surrendered when they later declared that they were abducted, Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) Persida V. Rueda-Acosta said on Wednesday, Sept. 20.
“Ang pakiramdam namin itong mga batang ito ay may kinatatakutan na baka may gumanti sa kanila kaya ganyan nag-recant (We feel that these two fear that someone might exact revenge on them that’s why they recanted),” Acosta said during an interview on Teleradyo.
The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) held a press conference last Tuesday, 20, to present environmental activists Jonila Castro, 21, and Jhed Tamano, 22, as the latest members of the New People’s Army (NPA) to have surrendered to the government.
Instead of affirming that they surrendered to the 70th Infantry Battalion in Dona Remedios, Bulacan, in a surprising turn of events, Castro and Tamano declared during the press conference of the NTF-ELCAC that they were abducted by the military in Orion, Bataan last Sept. 2.
Acosta said what happened was unfair to the Task Force Balik Loob, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and the PAO.
She said that prior the holding of press conference, the two activists issued separate sworn statements before PAO lawyer Joper Bagay that stated that they surrendered to the Philippine troops.
“Nagiging style na bulok na ng ibang nag-aafidavit na pagkagusto mag-recant ituturo si PAO. Kawawa naman ‘yung mga PAO natin (It has become part of rotten schemes whenever someone recants sworn statements that PAO becomes the target of blames. Our PAO becomes pitiful),” she said.
Acosta declared: “Hindi po kami nagtuturong magsuningaling kanino man (The PAO doesn’t teach anyone to tell lies).”
She lamented that the National Union of Peoples' Lawyers (NUPL) threatened the file charges against the PAO lawyer for forcing Castro and Tamano to make false statements.
She stressed: "May video pa ‘yan kung paano sila nanumpa (There is also a video of them swearing to the authenticity of their statements).”
Acosta also noted that the only persons present during the swearing to the authenticity of the statements were the PAO lawyer, the two activists, their parents including the father of Tamano who is a retired soldier.
She said she learned from Atty. Bagay that she was asked by the military to help the two comply with the requirements of Task Force Balik Loob through the issuance of sworn statements.
“‘Yung PAO kasi naka-tie up sa Task Force Balik Loob ng ating gobyerno para po ‘pag may babalik ay talagang tinitiyak magbabalik loob at binibigyan sila ng konting puhunan para magkabuhay ng mapayapa (The PAO has a tie up with Task Force Balik Loob to ensure that they will return and be given livelihood so they can live peaceful lives),” she explained.
She pointed out that when Bagay arrived at the 70th Infantry Battalion, Castro and Tamano already have prepared separate hand-written statements.
“Ang aming policy ay talagang kailangan may hand-written sila. Tsaka namin ipapatype sa lawyer. Pero iinterviewhin mabuti kung mula sa puso mo at talagang sinasabi mo (Under our policy there should be a hand-written statement presented. Afterwards it will be type-written by the lawyer. Prior that, they will be interviewed by the lawyer to make sure if the statements came from their heart),” she explained.
Acosta said that there is also a video which showed that the PAO lawyer was alone in conducting the interview of the two women in a closed conference room.
The PAO chief cited that since 2001 there have been a total of 3,733 rebel returnees.
“Sumasaludo po kami sa ating kasundaluhan dahil ligtas po itong 3,733 na ito. Buhay na buhay po sila (We salute the military because all 3,733 rebel returnees are safe. All of them are still alive),” she said.