Authorities arrest Satur, congressman, 17 others for trafficking

By FROILAN GALLARDO
Special Correspondent .

POLICE and Army units stopped a convoy of five vehicles carrying former Bayan Muna representative Satur Ocampo and party-list Rep. France Castro, and detained them in Davao del Norte on Wednesday night.

Capt. Jerry Lamosao, public information officer of the Army 10th Division, said Ocampo and Castro along with 17 others were detained at the police station in Talaingod town in Davao del Norte.

Lamosao said Ocampo, Castro and the rest of the his party were detained for possible violation of Republic Act No. 9208 and 7610, the country’s anti-human trafficking and child abuse laws.

He said the police and army team together with personnel from the Talaingod social welfare office “rescued” 14 minors traveling with the convoy of Ocampo.

“The minors with ages ranging from 14 years old to 17 years old came from Talaingod and as far away as Bukidnon and Sultan Kudarat provinces,” Lomasao said.

Lt. Gen. Benjamin Madrigal, commander of the AFP Eastern Command, said the army and police decided to stop the convoy of Ocampo after they received the complaints from some parents and tribal chieftains that their children were allegedly forcibly taken.

Madrigal said the Army and police team stopped the convoy at the checkpoint in Purok 1, Barangay Santo Nino in Talaingod town at around 9:30 pm on Wednesday.

Ocampo, Castro and their party are still detained in Talaingod police station yesterday afternoon.

In a statement, Save Our Schools Network said the convoy was part of a solidarity mission to deliver food and school supplies to Salugpongan school in Sitio Dulyan, Barangay Palma Gil, Talaingod town which was allegedly harassed by Alamara gunmen, a para-military unit operating in the town.

The group said while on its way, the solidarity mission found that the teachers and students have fled from the school prompting them to bring along the minors for their safety.

“On its way to Tagum City, they were shot twice. Two of the vehicles were flat due to suyak( iron spikes) and one windshield cracked when a stone was thrown on it,” the group said.

The group said eventually the convoy was stopped in Barangay Santo Nino and police brought Ocampo, Castro and the members of solidarity mission to their station.

“Practically dine-detain kami.Hinahanapan pa kami ng kaso pero as of now wala naman kaya they should release us,” the group quoted a statement from Rep. Castro.