“However long this takes, we will never give up. What is important is
we get justice for what was done to us. We urge newly-appointed
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales to act on the cases we filed that aim
to seek justice for victims of human rights violations.”
– Raymond Manalo, victim of torture and arbitrary detention
By
RONALYN V. OLEA
MANILA – Survivors of torture, their lawyers and supporters are
confident that the new Ombudsman will act speedily to resolve the
years-long complaints filed against several military officers for rights
abuses.
Raymond Manalo and Oscar Leuterio filed today urgent motions to
resolve the charges they filed against retired military officers Lt.
Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan Jr., Maj. Gen.
Juanito Gomez and other officials and personnel of the 24th Infantry
Battalion of the Philippine Army and members of the Citizen’s Armed
Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu). Palparan and others were charged with
kidnapping, arbitrary detention, physical injuries, threats, and
involuntary servitude, among others.
Both were taken by soldiers in separate incidents and were subjected
to various forms of torture. The two are also witnesses to the abduction
and torture of University of the Philippines (UP) students Karen Empeño
and Sherlyn Cadapan and farmer Manuel Merino.
The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL), whose members serve as
lawyers of the complainants, noted that SC Justice Carpio-Morales was
the one who penned the latest May 2011 decision granting the writ of
amparo in favor of Cadapan, Empeño and Merino.
The group said the court found Manalo’s testimony as clear,
categorical, consistent and credible. “Thus, with the evidence on hand,
Manalo and Leuterio as well as other victims of human rights violations
and their kin seek the speedy resolution of the charges against Palparan
under the watch of Ombudsman Carpio Morales. “It is only through trying
perpetrators and putting them behind bars that we can abate cases of
abuse of state forces against innocent civilians,” Edre Olalia, NUPL
secretary general, said.
L-R
Oscar Leuterio, Erlinda Cadapan and Raymond Manalo are hopeful that the
new Ombudsman will act on the cases filed against human rights
violators. (Photo by Ronalyn V. Olea / bulatlat.com)
“We are encouraged as honour and integrity is somehow restored into
our justice system. With the appointment of a new Ombudsman, we can now
prosecute human rights violators without worrying that the interests of
the victims will be compromised by patronage politics,” Olalia said.
Manalo filed the charges on September 12, 2008 and Leuterio filed his
complaints on November 16, 2006 at the office of former Ombudsman
Merceditas Gutierrez.
“However long this takes, we will never give up. What is important is
we get justice for what was done to us. We urge newly-appointed
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales to act on the cases we filed that aim
to seek justice for victims of human rights violations,” Manalo said.....
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Source: Bulatlat.com
URL:
http://bulatlat.com/main/2011/07/29/rights-violations-victims-file-urgent-motion-before-new-ombudsman/