This story
was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly
newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com, www.bulatlat.net, www.bulatlat.org).
Vol. VII, No. 7 March 19, 2007
Son Condemns Arrest of Ka
Satur
Detained lawmaker
Satur Ocampo’s son, Anto, weeps at a solidarity gathering for his father
at the Club Filipino in Ortigas. “I am outraged,” the young Ocampo said
of his father’s third arrest since martial law. BY
DABET CASTANEDA In a solidarity gathering
for detained Bayan Muna lawmaker Satur Ocampo at the Club Filipino in Ortigas,
San Juan, his 31-year old son, Antonio, broke down in tears while thanking
supporters of his father. The Bayan Muna solon was
arrested by the police based on a warrant issued by Branch 18 of the Regional
Trial Court (RTC) of Hilongos, Leyte for allegedly ordering the mass murder of
at least 15 individuals who were alleged by the military as victims of a
supposed purge by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) in the mid-1980s.
He surfaced and was
arrested at around 3:30 p.m. on March 16 at the Supreme Court after sidestepping
for 10 days since March 6 when the warrant for his arrest was issued. Ocampo is
charged with 12 counts of multiple-murder. “Ang gusto lang naman
namin ay maglingkod sa bayan,” (All
we want to do is to serve our countrymen.) the young Ocampo, who is himself
working for a non-government organization, told the crowd as he wiped his tears.
“I am outraged. This is the
third time they (the government agents) are doing this to my father, to us,” he
told reporters after the program. Third time Antonio or Anto was just a
one-year old boy on January 14, 1976 when his father, one of the most respected
journalists of his time, was illegally arrested and tortured by military
intelligence operatives. For nine long years, the
young Anto’s image of his father was a person behind bars and a loving tatay
(father) taken away from him. “As far as I can recall bumibisita ako sa
kulungan. Ganun talaga ang buhay namin nuon,” (I visited my father in
prison. That was our normal life then) Anto said with a sheepish smile during an
interview with Bulatlat inside the General Assignments Section of the
Western Police District (WPD) along the United Nations Avenue in Manila where
his father was detained on March 16 until he was whisked away by Special Weapons
and Tactics (SWAT) agents this morning. The older Ocampo was
charged with rebellion and subversion during martial law but was not found
guilty even after seven years of trial under Special Military Commission No. 1.
Ka Satur escaped from
military custody May 5, 1985 and went underground only to surface as chief
negotiator of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) in the
local peace negotiations with the post-dictator administration of Corazon Aquino.
He again went underground when the peace talks collapsed after the massacre of
farmers in Mendiola on Jan. 22, 1987. Ocampo was again arrested
on July 27, 1989 and placed under military detention for the next three years.
He was subjected to trial for murder, kidnapping and illegal possession of
firearms but was freed on recognizance without being found guilty of the said
charges. He was released on Sept. 1, 1992. Shades of martial law It has been thirty years
since his father’s first arrest but Anto thinks that there are parallels to the
situation now to the days of martial law. Anto said “these are shades of
martial law, nangyari na ito dati.”(This happened before.) “Kung
kilala nila ang tatay ko,
he’s one of the most peaceful people I know,” (If they knew my father) Anto said
of his father. “I find it
preposterous. He’s not capable of doing that,” he added, referring to the
military’s charge that his father ordered the killing of at least 15 individuals
sometime in 1984. “Ang habol
lang nya ay to help people and promote peace,”
(His only concern is to help people
and promote peace) the young Ocampo said. Bulatlat © 2006 Bulatlat
■
Alipato Publications Permission is granted to reprint or redistribute this article, provided its author/s and Bulatlat are properly credited and notified.
Says
it’s just like martial law
Bulatlat
Posted 3:35 p.m., March 19, 2007