Activists scored another victory against the government’s use of the controversial Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) of 2020 as the Malolos Regional Trial Court (RTC) dismissed charges against Makabayan Secretary General Nathaniel Santiago and three others.
Malolos RTC Branch 12 Presiding Judge Julie P. Mercurio in a joint order dated September 3 dismissed the charges against the activists “for lack of probable cause.”
Aside from Santiago, the other respondents were Rosario Brenda M. Gonzalez, Servillano E. Luna Jr., and Anasusa Salonga San Gabriel.
The Court said the evidence submitted by the government prosecution was insufficient to show that the accused were present in a New People’s Army ambush on October 8, 2023 in Laur, Nueva Ecija.
The prosecution likewise failed to show the activists were in actual possession of weapons in the firefight with elements of the 84th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army where a government trooper was killed.
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) president Renato Reyes Jr. hailed the dismissal of the “trumpedup charges,” saying “This is a major win. Gov’t continues to weaponize terror law vs activists. “
Aside from being Makabayan’s secretary general, Santiago holds the same position with Bayan Muna Party.
An activist since 1984, he has been the League of Filipino Students chairperson and secretary general of BAYAN.
Gonzalez is a long-time development worker, San Gabriel is a church ay worker, while Luna was the former campaign director and secretary general of Anakpawis Party.
Judge Mercurio said the pending issuance of warrants of arrest against the accused is rendered moot by the dismissal of the charges.
Bayan Muna Chairperson Neri Colmenares welcomed the decision and emphasized the need to remain vigilant and continue the fight against repressive measures.
“We stand firm in pushing back against all draconian measures, including the weaponization of the law, which are taken straight from the US counterinsurgency playbook,” he asserted.
In light of this victory, Colmenares renewed calls for the junking of the ATA and the abolishment of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC). “We need to intensify our mass movement to ensure that such laws are repealed. Our struggle for genuine democracy and people’s rights continues,” he concluded.
House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro strongly denounced the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the NTF-ELCAC for filing and finding probable cause for trumped-up charges using the Anti-Terrorism Act against progressive groups and individuals, such as Santiago.
The teacher solon said the dismissal of the cases underscores the urgent need to junk the Anti-Terrorism Act or at the very least suspend and conduct a thorough review of the oppressive law to prevent further abuses.
Rep. Castro urged her fellow lawmakers to prioritize the protection of civil liberties and ensure that laws are not used to silence legitimate dissent. – with a report from Kodao Productions
