Human rights groups decried the “torture” of four Central Luzon activists arrested by the police on the night of June 29, revealing the victims were made to lie down on the ground for five hours.
Karapatan said it condemns the “illegal arrest, torture and unjust detention” of Ma. Theresa Buscayno, Desiree Jaranilla Patuñ-og, Andres Ely and Oliver Millo, all peasant and community organizers, by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detention Group (PNP-CIDG) in Mexico, Pampanga.
The victims were aboard a white Toyota Innova vehicle traveling along Jose Abad Santos Ave. in Mexico, Pampanga when they were stopped by two other vehicles at around 9:30 p.m., Karapatan reported.
“Armed men in (PNP-CIDG) uniforms came out of these vehicles and dragged out Buscayno, Patuñ-og, Ely, Millo and the van’s driver, forced them to kneel and beat them up,” Karapatan said.
“They were then forced to lie face down on the ground for around five hours,” the group added.
Based on the patterns observed with other arrests of this nature, the victims were ordered to lie on the ground while the arresting team plants incriminating items such as firearms and explosives inside the vehicle, Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay said.
At their inquest proceedings held on July 31, the arresting team indeed claimed that Buscayno and Millo were each armed with an M16 rifle and a hand grenade was allegedly found in Buscayno’s bag.
Patuñ-og was alleged to be carrying an M14 rifle and keeping a grenade in her bag while Ely allegedly had a rifle grenade and a hand grenade in his possession.
All four were charged with illegal possession of firearms and explosives.
Patuñ-og and Buscayno are being held Camp Olivas in San Fernando City while Millo and Ely are being held at the CIDG detention area in the Pampanga provincial police camp in the same city.
Karapatan said all four had contusions, bruises and pain from being assaulted by the arresting team.
“Patuñ-og also had a visible wound on her forehead after members of the arresting team repeatedly banged her head on the cemented road,” the group revealed.
Patuñ-og was University of the Philippines Student Regent in 1997 to 1998.
“Buscayno, Patuñ-og, Ely and Millo are but the latest in a growing list of activists and community organizers who have been illegally arrested, tortured and slapped with trumped-up charges,” said Palabay. “The relentless persecution of activists, human rights defenders and other dissenters proves the emptiness of Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s claims that things are better in the human rights front.”
The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) also condemned the arrest and detention of the victims, adding it demands an end to the continued attacks against peasant advocates, organizers, and communities.
“We demand an immediate release of the four organizers and that Philippine authorities uphold human rights and the principles of international humanitarian law,” ICHRP said. | via Kodao Productions
This article PNP ‘tortures’ 4 Central Luzon activists; victims forced to lie down on the ground for 5 hours was originally published in Kodao Productions.
