By DOMINIC GUTOMAN
Bulatlat.com
MANILA – The City Prosecutor of San Jose Del Monte Bulacan dismissed charges by the military against peasant leader Ronnie Manalo.
In a September 16, 2024 decision, Prosecution Atty. Almeda-Sakima Vinluan said that there is no prima facie evidence against Manalo. The resolution was approved by City Prosecutor Sinfronso T. Roque, Jr.
The three dismissed charges filed by PFC Rolan Salvador Agacita and CPL Roldan Formento Ramos, representatives of 80th Infantry Battalion (IB) were illegal possession of explosives, illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, and violation of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
According to Vinluan, the military failed to identify the active participation of Manalo and two others named “Ka Maya” and “Ka Men” to the crimes that allegedly happened on June 18, 2024.
“Thus, in every criminal prosecution, the identity of the offender, like the crime itself, must be established by proof beyond reasonable doubt. Indeed, the first duty of the prosecution is not to prove the crime but to prove the identity of the criminal, for even if the commission of the crime can be established, there can be no conviction without proof of identity of the criminal beyond reasonable doubt,” the decision read.
The City Prosecutor said that the military did not see the three respondents arrive at the place of the incident. In addition, the affidavit of a certain Erick Simogan who was introduced as a “former member of CPP-NPA-NDF” was also deemed questionable by the court because he was also not present during the time and place of the incident.
In terrorism charges, the military has repeatedly used questionable “former members of the CPP-NPA-NDF” which human rights groups dubbed as “fake surrenderees” to facilitate the filing of cases.
The house of Manalo, secretary-general of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), was forcibly entered and ransacked by the 80th IB and the Philippine National Police-Special Action Forces (PNP-SAF) on June 18, 2024. The joint forces of military and police claimed to have found a firearm and subversive materials which the KMP denied.
Read: Raids, harassment prelude to crackdown – rights group
“Illegal possession of firearms and explosives along with violations of the Anti-Terrorism Act are the typical charges filed against activists, organizers, and human rights defenders being non-bailable offenses,” KMP said in a statement. They said that Manalo joined the “ever-growing roster of activists fighting for peasant rights and demands that are harassed and victimized by state agents in the guise of counter-insurgency.”
KMP said that the forced entry of Manalo’s house and terrorist-tagging against him coincided with the “months-long campaign of terror in the farmer communities of at least six sitios in barangay San Roque, Paradise 3, and Tungkong Mangga affecting at least 400 families.”
In a fact-finding mission in the area in August 2024, residents said that the 80th IB conducted house-to-house visits, forcing them to sign a waiver that they will no longer participate in rallies.
The soldiers, residents said, took photos of them and aggressively asked about their membership to Samahan at Sandigan ng mga Magsasaka ng San Isidro (SASAMAG), a local chapter of KMP in Bulacan.
Read: Crackdown, psywar vs Bulacan farmers intensify
“The residents’ access to their livelihood and agricultural production was hampered due to fear and anxiety caused by the military encircling of their communities,” KMP said.
KMP documented at least 20 counts of human rights violations and violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), including the military’s illegal occupation of Tungkong Mangga’s barangay hall, using the facility for military summons and interrogation.” (AMU, DAA)
