Defense lawyers of
the so-called ‘Batasan 6’ militant lawmakers today asked a Makati regional
trial court to suspend the hearing of rebellion charges against the six,
and to first pursue probable cause for the charges.
The Batasan 6 lawyers
filed the two motions to suspend the hearing and to pursue probable cause
before the sala of Judge Elmo Alameda of the Makati regional trial court
Branch 150. The lawyers cited a status-quo order handed by the Supreme
Court in June. Today’s court-ordered clarificatory hearing was supposed
to resolve 13 pending motions on the consolidated rebellion charges
against the legislators and six other legal personalities.
The Batasan 6 – Bayan
Muna Representatives Satur Ocampo, Teodoro Casiño and Joel Virador,
Anakpawis Reps. Rafael Mariano and Crispin Beltran and Gabriela Rep. Liza
Maza – have been charged with rebellion by the DOJ after the issuance of
Proclamation 1017 on Feb. 24. Beltran was first to be charged after his
arrest on Feb. 25, while the five others had to seek refuge at the House
of Representatives amidst threats of arrest by government forces.
The six have been
charged with rebellion along with former Senator Gregorio Honasan and 40
others. Earlier, the amended information filed by the DOJ to support the
rebellion charges was ruled out by Makati RTC Branch 137 Judge Jenny
Aldecoa-Delorino.
The lawmakers argued
that a previous judge who handled the rebellion charges has violated the
order of the High Tribunal. On June 22, MRTC Branch 57 Judge Renato
Quilala granted the motion of the Department of Justice which sought the
consolidation of the Batasan 5 case with that of Beltran and 1st
Lt. Lawrence San Juan.
The complaint is now
based on the original information filed against Beltran and San Juan
citing a supposed tactical alliance between communist guerillas and
disgruntled military soldiers in the supposed Feb. 24 failed coup d’ etat.
The lawyers of the
six lawmakers has asked the court to reconsider an earlier order of MRTC
Branch 146 Judge Encarnacion Moya, the second judge to handle Beltran’s
case, to pursue probable cause in the rebellion charges against him and
further confinement of the 67-year old solon.
Human rights and
defense lawyer Romeo Capulong said the court is expected to issue a
decision on the motion in 10 days. He expressed confidence the court
would grant their motions which he said were based on strong grounds.
Capulong said that if
the motion to find probable cause was granted, Beltran would be
automatically allowed to attend sessions at the House of Representatives
to do his legislative duties.
Beltran wore red
barong during the hearing to signify protest against his detention.
Bayan Muna Rep. Satur
Ocampo said the Inter-Parliamentary Union had transmitted to the
government a petition to release Beltran and join his colleagues in the
Congress.
Meanwhile, Beltran
lambasted President Arroyo’s 10-week deadline to the police and the
military to solve 10 cases of political killings.
Ocampo doubted the
government could present solved cases of political killings. “We will wait
for it,” he said, reiterating that Arroyo should order the military and
police to not only investigate the violations but stop the rash of
killings that already claimed the lives of 717 civilians, including 244
activists and 47 members of the media. Bulatlat
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