Echanis’ camp file petition for certiorari at Supreme Court

SC decision to be an indicator on Arroyo’s political persecution

Leaders and members of the militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP, Peasant Movement of the Philippines) and Free Randall Echanis Movement (Freedom) picket in front of the Supreme Court in Padre Faura Street, Manila as family, lawyers and supporters of Randall Echanis, KMP Deputy Secretary-General for External Affairs file today a petition for certiorari at the Supreme Court as the Judge Thelma Bunyi-Medina of Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 32 suspends hearing though prosecution is weak.

“This petition would order the high court the lower court to review Echanis’ case, the next step of Ka Randy’s legal battle as the hearing at the lower court showed Arroyo’s power and influence when Judge Bunyi-Medina was not able to release him, though prosecution only stood on a questionable testimony of a questionable witness,” opened Danilo Ramos, KMP Secretary-General opened in a press statement.

Randall Echanis, the peasant leader, was implicated with the “mass graves” in Leyte and arrested on January 28 this year in Bago City, Negros Occidental while conducting a consultation with sugar workers regarding the House Bill 3059 Genuine Agrarian Reform Bill (GARB) and then-coming National Rural Congress II. He is the co-accused of Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo who was released by the Supreme Court on bail.

“We hope that the Supreme Court would be independent and firm, rely only on the merits of the case, thus, deciding towards releasing him immediately. Their decision would be an indicator on the stirring political persecution on activists by the Arroyo government. We expect that the high court would stand courageous against the evil Inter-Agency Legal Action Group (IALAG) composed of Sec. Raul Gonzales, Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales, Executive Sec. Eduardo Ermita and the President herself Gloria Arroyo,” Ramos noted.

“We are confident that the Supreme Court would favor Ka Randy, otherwise, it would seal up the the issue that we are totally under the Arroyo dictatorship, democratic rights are violated, activists persecuted, democracy destroyed,” added Ramos.

Moreover, KMP leaders and members are popular targets of “arrest and detention,” the addition to extra-judicial killings and enforced disappearances as components of Oplan Bantay Laya II. In Southern Tagalog, peasant leaders are included in the “ST 27/72” and “Silang 9.” “Tagaytay 5” who were released last August due to a “non-existent crime” were also leaders and organizers of KMP Cavite chapter. In Eastern Visayas, provincial leaders of Samar are either killed or being hunted implicated with various cases.

Since President Arroyo sat on power in 2001, 526 peasants have already been victims of extra-judicial killings, where 109 were KMP leaders, 129 are victims of enforced disappearances and scores are detained in various jails nationwide.

“The Arroyo government has really her eyes and ears on us, because we are militantly struggling for genuine agrarian reform and stood witnesses on investigations of her graft and corruption. Ka Randy was a potential leader that led us through our struggles, that is why he was targetted by Arroyo,” Ramos claimed.#

FOR REFERENCE:
DANILO RAMOS, KMP Secretary-General
ROY MORILLA, KMP Public Information Officer (+63-905-421-73-05)