This story
was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly
newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com, www.bulatlat.net, www.bulatlat.org).
Vol. VI, No. 6, March 13, 2006
DOJ Resorting to Dirty Tactics - Batasan 5 BY
AUBREY MAKILAN Posted
6:30 p.m. March 13, 2006 Five legislators
accused of rebellion said March 13 that the Department of Justice was
resorting to dirty tactics after the latter changed, without prior
notification, the schedule and venue of their preliminary investigation
on rebellion charges. Chief state prosecutor
Jovencito Zuño and other government lawyers arrived at the House of
Representatives at 10 a.m. supposedly to hand over the complaint documents to
the respondents. But Romeo Capulong, one of the 15 counsels
for Bayan Muna Partylist Representatives Satur Ocampo, Teodoro Casiño, and Joel
Virador; Liza Maza of Gabriela Women’s Party; and Rafael Mariano of Anakpawis
Partylist, said that the investigation of the DOJ was “invalid” because they
were informed less than half an hour before the start of the proceedings. Two of
their counsels however appeared before the state prosecutors to explain their
clients’ non-appearance. Casiño said the hearing by the DOJ was done
"in bad faith" to prevent them from appearing. The lawmakers had earlier
committed to attending a mass at the House lobby at 10 a.m. The mass, celebrated
by Bishop Julio Xavier Labayen and five other catholic priests, was attended by
the lawmakers’ supporters including former vice president Teofisto Guingona,
Susan Roces, and fellow congressmen. Capulong said that based on the subpoena sent
to them last March 9, the hearing was set at the DOJ at 2 p.m. They were
initially informed of the change in venue from the DOJ to the House of
Representatives then the time from 200 p.m. to 10 a.m less than an hour before
the schedule. Capulong said they will no longer question
the abrupt changes and instead will study their response to the complaint within
15 days. Since none of the respondents appeared in the
hearing, State Prosecutor Emmanuel Velasco ordered the Criminal Investigation
and Detection Group (CIDG) to furnish each respondent’s office with a copy of
the complaint. Velasco added that if the respondents and
their counsels fail to answer the complaint, the case would be resolved based on
the evidence they gathered. However, Capulong said, the government has no
strong evidence against his clients, particularly against Anakpawis
Representative Crispin Beltran. Beltran was arrested Feb. 25 but a lower court
ordered his release last March 13 based on their petition for parliamentary
immunity in the sedition case filed against him. The Philippine National Police
however refused to honor the decision unless the Makati Regional Trial Court
will as well order his release from the rebellion charge filed against him. Capulong said that only three of the 46
documents filed as evidences against Beltran are relevant. Countering an affidavit by a certain Rowel
Escala who claimed to have seen the lawmakers meeting with 1Lt. Lawrence San
Juan Feb. 20, Virador showed a copy of the attendance sheet for that day’s
committee hearing at the House. Bulatlat © 2006 Bulatlat
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