This story
was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly
newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com, www.bulatlat.net, www.bulatlat.org).
Vol. VI, No. 9, April 2-8, 2006
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
The 11 punks accused of being members of
the clandestine New People’s Army (NPA) and raiding a military detachment
in Cabiten, Mankayan, Benguet have found an ally in Senate Minority Leader
Aquilino Pimentel Jr., who has urged law enforcement authorities to
investigate their arrest and detention. LA TRINIDAD, Benguet –
The 11 punks accused of being members of the clandestine New People’s Army (NPA)
and raiding a military detachment in Cabiten, Mankayan, this province have found
an ally in Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr., who has urged law
enforcement authorities to investigate their arrest and detention. He said that
if the 11 punks arrested in Sagada, Mt. Province Feb. 14 and now known as the
Sagada 11 are found to be fall guys, the authorities should “rectify their
errors” by immediately releasing them. The 11 punks filed a case
March 31 at the Benguet Provincial Prosecutor’s Office against six members of
the Philippine National Police (PNP)-Benguet for allegedly violating their
rights their rights under Sec.2 of Republic Act No. 7438, which states that a
person under custodial investigation should be informed of his rights and must
be provided with competent and independent counsel. The punks said they were
interrogated without counsel and tortured into admitting the crimes they were
accused of. The 11 punks are still
detained at the provincial jail based on the case of robbery with homicide and
arson filed against them by the PNP. The motion to quash filed by the punks’
lawyers is presently being processed at Branch 62 of the Benguet Regional Trial
Court. The six PNP officers
charged with violating RA 7438 are: PSupt. Brent M. Madjaco; PSI Joseph Paulo
Bayongasan; SPO1 Alyson Kalang-ad; P02 Jonathan Pucya; P02 Wendell B. Baglao’
and P02 James M. Ayan Jr. As Sen. Pimentel was
convinced the 11 were tortured, he requested PNP Director-General Arturo Lomibao
to demand explanation from the provincial and regional PNP commands “on the
incident and verify reports that the arrest was a mistake.” He further said
that the torture and violations of their rights are not legally justified, and
these show the PNP’s low regard on human rights. Pimentel, as informed by
Cordillera Human Rights Alliance (CHRA) Lawyer Manja Bayang, cited the torture
that the punks were allegedly made to endure. “They were punched and kicked on
different parts of their body, including their genitals; gravely threatened to
be killed; ordered to kneel on the hot ground; drowned in water; suffocated in
plastic bags; thrown in deep dug-outs; made to stand nude at nighttime while
cold water was poured on them,” Pimentel elaborated. A recent CHRA statement
cited the 11 punks as hoping that through this (case) and their other efforts of
gaining justice for brutality they suffered under the PNP, it would serve as a
lesson for the PNP and other erring public officers to uphold and respect
people’s rights.” Northern Dispatch / Posted by Bulatlat © 2006 Bulatlat
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Pimentel
Urges Release of ‘Sagada 11’BY
ARTHUR L. ALLAD-IW
Northern Dispatch
Posted by Bulatlat