THE Promotion of Church People’s Response over the weekend accused state forces of false arrests and detention, and of fabricating evidence against Mindanao clergymen.
“Two innocent clergy languish another month in detention on fabricated non-bailable charge of illegal possession of explosives,” said Fr. Rolly de Leon, co-chairperson of the PCPR.
PCPR referred to Bishop Carlo Morales of the Iglesia Filipina Independiiente in Ozamiz City and Pastor Kama Sanong of the Manobo Association Evangelical Church in Sultan Kudarat.
De Leon said the two ministers have something in common: they are both languishing behind bars due to alleged trumped up charges of illegal possession of explosives.
Bishop Morales was arrested at a checkpoint in Ozamiz City along with National Democratic Front peace consultant Rommel Salinas on May 11, 2017.
PCPR said Morales, who merely gave Salinas a ride in his vehicle, refused to leave the latter alone at the checkpoint despite being told by authorities that Salinas was being arrested.
This was so, PCPR said, because Salinas informed Morales that he is protected as a peace talks consultant of the NDF based on the Joint Agreement on Security and Immunity Guarantees (Jasig).
PCPR alleged that a grenade was planted in the vehicle, the reason for the illegal possession of explosives charge.
“Bishop Carlo has now been in jail for three months on this singular, fabricated charge using planted evidence,” reads a PCPR statement also signed by IFI Bishop Joel Porlares, Bishop Deogracias Iniguez of the Ecumenical Bishops Forum, Revs. Irma Balaba and Jerome Baris of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines.
Pastor Sanong, meanwhile, was arrested by members of the Marines Landing Battalion, and National Police at his home in Barangay Hinalaan, Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat on July 11, 2017.
The group said Sanong is a member of Kesasabanay Dulangan Manobo, a lumad organization that is advocating ancestral lands and self-determination rights.
PCPR said authorities barged into the house in the dead of night and, after holding Pastor Sanong at gun-point, brought the family out.
The group said brought the family back in the house again when IP mandatory representative Vicente Ma came to witness their search. It said, “Nothing was found.”
Subsequently, soldiers and police officers claimed to have found an air-gun, a caliber .38 revolver, and a rifle grenade in the house.
PCPR stated: “An air-gun is not disputed as belonging to the family, as it is for hunting. This other planted evidence was used to file a fabricated, trumped up case of illegal possession of explosives.”
The group said it found the Morales and Sanong cases troubling.
“Such conduct by state forces is beyond defense or justification. Two clergy are now behind bars because of the lies of the military. Not only they, but their entire families are victimized by [their] false arrest and detention,” PCPR said. “We must not allow military to plant evidence against persons innocent of alleged crimes.”
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