FORMER Bayan Muna representative Satur Ocampo, ACT Teachers Representative France Castro, and 16 others face kidnapping and human trafficking charges over the transport of 14 children from Talaingod town in Davao del Norte, police said on Thursday, November 29.
Davao del Norte provincial polie chief Senior Superintendent Ferlu Silvio, Davao del Norte provincial police chief has confirmed the reports after Ocampo, Castro, and over 70 delegates of the National Solidarity Mission (NSM) were arrested in a checkpoint in Talaingod. They had since been detained at the Talaingod Municipal Police Station.
Ocampo, Castro, and the 16 others were accused of violating Republic Act 10364 or the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012, in relation to Republic Act 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act, kidnapping, and failure to return a minor.
The joint police and military team based the arrest and the charges on the presence of children in the NSM vehicles, and said they “rescued” the minors aged 14 to 17. Davao Region police said the minors were being transported from Barangay Palma Gil in Talaingod, towards Maco in Compostela Valley.
The Salugpongan Ta’Tanu Igkanogon Community Learning Center Incorporated said, however, that the children were students of the STTICLC school in Barangay Palma Gil who were being evacuated by the NSM due to alleged harassment by state forces, including a food blockade to the school.
The Davao del Norte police chief said the kidnapping charge stemmed from the claim of a minor that he was being held against his will.
“His parents had been trying to secure him for the past 5 days but were rejected,” Silvio told Rappler in a phone interview.
As for the rest of the children, Silvio said the social welfare office of Talaingod continues to conduct a “profiling” on them.
“Some came from as far as Zamboanga del Sur,” he added.
Karapatan Southern Mindanao Region said the group was “falsely accused.”
Chief Superintendent Marcelo Morales, Southern Mindanao police director, said on Friday, November 30, that Ocampo, Castro and 16 other NSM delegates – mostly teachers at the Salugpongan school in Talaingod – were “booked” and “charged” on Thursday.
Morales also said Davao del Norte Prosecutor Normal Solis recommended an P80,000-bail for each of the 18, and ordered them to submit their counteraffidavits within 10 days.
Silvio said the detainees were being treated well.
The others detained are:
Meggie Nolasco – Administrator, STTICLC
Pastor Edgar Ugal – UCCP Davao
Rev. Ryan C. Magpayo – UCCP Davao
Pastor Eller A. Ordeza – United Methodist Davao
Rev. Jurie Jaime – UCCP Davao
Maria Concepcion Ibarra – teacher, STTICLC
Jenevive Paraba – teacher, STTICLC
Nerhaya Talledo – teacher, STTICLC
Maricel Andagkit – teacher, STTICLC
Marcial Rendon -teacher, STTICLC
Ariel Ansan -teacher, STTICLC
Mariane Aga – teacher STTICLC
Nerfa Awing – teacher, STTICLC
Wingwing Dansay – teacher, STTICLC
Jesus Modamo – staff, ACT PP
Maryro Poquita – staff, ACT PP
Leftist lawmakers comprising the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives denounced what they called the ‘illegal arrest’ and “trumped up charges.”
Harassment
For their part, however, Castro and Ocampo said that the decision ignored the testimonies on the continued harassment of Lumad schools as well as the danger faced by the students.
“Even the prosecution’s own witnesses testified that it was out of fear that the teachers decided to leave the community to a safer area,” they said.
“The justification for the supposed presence of conspiracy has no basis. Our mere presence in the highway where we met the teachers and the children is insufficient to establish conspiracy,” they added.
“This is a clear miscarriage of justice and we will strongly question this decision in all venues possible,” they further said.
