Unfazed by harassment:
Beltran Asks to Attend Congress Hearings

Unbent even in illegal detention and in ill health, Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran remains focused on the fight for pro-people laws and national democracy inside and outside of Congress. While the legal battle for Beltran’s freedom started last week, the Anakpawis solon is also trying to return to the House of Representatives to work.

BY LISA C. ITO
Bulatlat

Unbent even in illegal detention and in ill health, Anakpawis (Toiling Masses) Rep. Crispin “Ka Bel” Beltran remains focused on the fight for pro-people laws and national democracy inside and outside of Congress. While the legal battle for Beltran’s freedom started last week, the Anakpawis solon is also trying to return to the House of Representatives to work. His confinement in a solitary cell at the Custodial Center of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Camp Crame from Feb. 25 to 28 has not dampened his disapproval of the Macapagal-Arroyo administration’s policies. The 73-year-old labor leader has also not allowed his confinement at the PNP General Hospital since March 2 (due to unstable blood pressure levels) to stifle his life-long struggle for freedom and workers’ rights.

DEFIANT IN DETENTION: Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran PHOTO BY DABET CASTANEDA

Generally barred from media interviews while inside detention, he has resorted to issuing handwritten notes addressed to government officials, colleagues, family, and supporters every now and then.

Police escorts to Congress

“I will do my best to get out of this illegal detention, so I can be with you once again inside and outside of Congress,” Beltran wrote shortly after being confined in Room 1 of the PNP hospital.

A week since that promise, the “parliamentarian of the toiling masses” is raring to go back to work and get some pro-poor policies passed at the Lower House. Beltran yesterday wrote a formal letter to PNP Director-General Arturo Lomibao, requesting that he be allowed to attend the Congressional plenary hearings from March 13 to 15 next week under police custody.

Hearings on the 2006 budget had started last week, and are expected to resume Monday.

Beltran added that he intends to argue for House Bill 1064, which “provides for a P3,000.00 across-the-board monthly salary increase for all public sector employees, including the police.”

While the Congressional bill for a P1,000 increase in allowance for government employees retroactive to January 1, 2006 and a Senate Bill allowing a P2,000 allowance increase starting next July were passed recently upon pressure from the Palace, Beltran believes that a P3,000 across-the-board increase in the basic pay of government employees nationwide is still the best poverty-alleviating legislation for the public sector.

The PNP has nothing to lose if Lomibao honors Beltran's request to attend Congressional budget hearings under police custody, Mrs. Rosario Beltran said in a press conference Saturday.

The 64-year old congressional spouse said that “Even the police rank-and-file would benefit should Representative Beltran be successful in his bid to gather support for legislation such as HB 1064, which provides for a P3,000 across-the-board salary increase for government employees, including the police rank-and-file.”

As of Saturday, Mrs. Beltran has reportedly received verbal permission from the police allowing Ka Bel to attend Monday’s hearing with police escorts. This promise, however, remains to be tested as no public or formal order from Lomibao has been issued yet.

Beltran also intends to pursue the fight for the passage of House Bill 0345, which seeks to legislate the six-year nationwide clamor for a P125.00 across-the-board wage hike for workers in the private sector. The bill has already passed the committee hearings and is currently up for interpellation on the plenary.

Continuing jabs

Being in illegal detention has neither prevented Beltran from issuing sharp criticisms of Macapagal-Arroyo and her functionaries. If anything, his illegal arrest has given him more reason to be infuriated at the current administration.

In his letter, Beltran also castigated Lomibao for the latter’s inaction on the appeals of his legal counsels at the time of his illegal arrest to release him on the principle of parliamentary immunity. This delay on the part of the PNP has allowed police officers to concoct and connive with public prosecutors into charging Beltran with sedition and rebellion in the following days, Beltran’s legal counsels allege.

“Because of your foolish and canine obedience to the directives of a dubious, paranoid, kleptocratic, and treasonous president, assisted by her even more paranoid Secretary of the Department of (In)justice, Congress is now getting back at you, by deferring consideration of your budget to the prejudices of the poverty-devastated police rank-and-file,” Beltran said.

Shortly before his confinement for high blood pressure after a heated inquest proceeding last Feb. 28, Beltran also minced no words in denouncing Presidential Proclamation No. 1017 as a “destabilizer par excellance with brutal efficiency,” through a handwritten note composed inside the maximum security detention cell No. 3, at the PNP Custodial Center.

Upon the lifting of PP 1017 following strong public outrage, Beltran issued another statement lauding the people’s movement for their struggle against the political harassment facilitated by the proclamation.

“Bahag na buntot na binawi ang proklamasyon” (Terrified, she lifted the proclamation), he said. “Natakot (si Gng. Arroyo) sa namumuong daluyong ng demokratikong tsunami ng mamamayan” (Mrs. Arroyo feared the growing storm of the people’s democratic tsunami). 

Beltran also has called attention to the growing international outrage over his arrest and incarceration and the political harassment against the “Batasan 5.”

“Hihintayin pa ba natin ang international strike laban sa Pilipinas?” (Shall we wait for an international strike against the Philippines?) he asked in a statement addressed to the Free Ka Bel Movement during its launching last March 6 at the University of the Philippines. Bulatlat

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