DND Secretary Gibo Teodoro (Facebook)

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is mulling the filing of perjury charges against environmental activists Jhed Tamano and Jonila Castro. 

This was bared Wednesday, Sept. 20 by Negros Occidental 6th district Rep. Mercedes Alvarez, who sponsored the Department of National Defense's (DND) 2024 budget in the House plenary budget debates . 

In his interpellation of the DND budget, Makabayan member Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel asked whether or not the AFP would admit to abducting the two young women. 

"No," Mercedes answered, before revealing tht"the AFP plans to file perjury cases or charges against the two.” 

Supplying Mercedes' responses in the interpellation was Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gibo Teodoro. Manuel questioned the basis of the planned filing of raps even as he referred to Tamano and Castro as the victims in the situation. 

“Hindi natin alam kung anong tipo ng panlilinlang yung ginawa sa kanila or coercion para mapuwersa sila na pumirma sa affidavit at ngayon na matapang nilang isiniwalat ang nangyari sa kanila sila pa ang sasampahan ng perjury,” Manuel said. 

(We don't know what kind of deception or coercion was done for them to sign the affidavit, and now that they have courageously revealed their ordeal, they will be charged with perjury.) 

Alvarez insisted that there were witnesses when the two supposed voluntary surrenderees signed affidavits. “The PAO (Public Attorney’s Office) lawyers were there, the stepfather of one of the ladies was there and they were even asked if they were coerced into singing by the stepfather and she denied being coerced." 

“Mr. Speaker, they were labeled as voluntary surrenderees because they said they voluntarily surrendered…. If you made a sworn statement and you recanted you will be subjected to perjury charges if needed,” the budget sponsor stressed. 

In a briefing organized by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), the two activists walked back on their sworn statement and instead claimed that they were abducted by the AFP. 

“You know Mr. Speaker, the DND, the AFP has always believed that honesty is the currency of leadership. It is most critical today that the truth prevails because mistrust seems to have been the default mode or reaction. We stand with our Philippine Army, Mr. Speaker,” Alvarez said. 

Tamano and Castro were reportedly protesting the reclamation project in Manila Bay.