Makabayan condemns on the strongest terms the latest trumped-up charges filed by the Manila Police District for alleged violations of the Public Assembly Act or BP 880. This is already the second wave of charges stemming from the November 30 rally last year. First to be charged were Bayan Muna organizer Nilo Montifero who was arrested and detained at the MPD and Elmer Labog, KMU chairperson. Included in the case were so-called John Does.
Today we received information that 13 others have been charged by the MPD before the Manila Prosecutors Office, 10 of them are senatorial candidates of Makabayan and 1 is the third nominee of Bayan Muna.
Included in the police charge sheet are Rep. France Castro, Rep. Arlene Brosas, Makabayan President and former representative Liza Maza, along with union leader Jerome Adonis of KMU, nurse Alyn Andamo from the health sector, fisherfolk Ronnel Aramublo of Pamalakaya, urban poor leader Mimi Doringo of Kadamay, transport leader Mody Floranda of PISTON, Moro leader Amirah Lidasan of Sandugo and peasant leader Danilo Ramos of KMP. Included also were Bayan Muna third nominee, former representative Ferdie Gaite, ACT leader and teacher Vlad Queta and health worker unionist Cristy Donguines of AHW.
The hearing for the preliminary investigation has been set on January 15 in Manila.
It has been the practice of the PNP to file shotgun cases against every identifiable personality present at a rally even if these personalities have not committed any crime. The sloppy, wholesale filing by the MPD even misidentified Mody Floranda of Piston as “female” and Moro leader Amirah Lidasan as a member of ACT.
We are now in contact with the respondent leaders and their lawyers and will mount a strong legal defense against this latest harassment suit from the PNP. The practice of filing trumped-up charges of “illegal assembly” must stop. Marching to Mendiola to denounce injustice should not be criminalized. The Marcos-era BP 880 should be repealed. Freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly should be upheld at all times. ###
