Farmers group condemns latest illegal arrest of fisherfolk-Anakpawis leader in Rizal

Four days after the illegal arrests of doctors and health workers in Morong, Rizal, another militant was arrested in Binangonan, Rizal simply because he carried with him an ID card of the Anakpawis Partylist. The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP, Peasant Movement of the Philippines) and Tanggol Magsasaka (Peasant Network for Land, Justice and Human Rights) condemned the illegal arrest by the Binangonan Philippine National Police (PNP) and said that this is pure harassment and persecution as the police are trying to connect him with the New People’s Army (NPA).

Arrested was Pamalakaya (fisherfolk) organizer Ronel Arambulo, 28 years old and also the former chair of Anakpawis Partylist – Binangonan chapter. He was arrested later 10 pm, February 10 while on his way to Pamalakaya-Binangonan staffhouse by elements of PNP conducting a drug-related saturation drive. Arambulo was detained at the Binangonan Police station around 11pm without clear charges. When police learned that he is a leader of Anakpawis Partylist, they turned over his mobile phone to the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) based at the said town.

“This is dreadful act of violating basic rights, arresting without charges, detention without basis and theft of personal property,” said Antonio Flores, KMP Spokesperson and Tanggol Magsasaka Co-Convenor.

Tanggol Magsasaka reported that Arambulo was charged with vagrancy but anxious about the turn-over of his mobile phone to the military.

“We know that vagrancy is penalized only by detention overnight, at present he is detained for more than 24 hours, thus, this is abuse and violation of his basic rights. Moreover, the military is popular in fabricating charges in order for militants to be detained for longer period,” said Flores.

KMP and Tanggol Magsasaka believe that this is part of the Arroyo government’s heightened political persecution on militants, such as implemented on the Morong 43 or the illegaly arrested doctors and health workers presently detained at Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal. The doctors and health workers belong to the Health Alliance for Democracy (HEAD), Council for Health Development (CHD) and Community Medicine Foundation, Inc. (COMMED) who were tortured and held incommunicado for days.

The groups added that this is to “desperately oppose” the increasing popularity of progressive partylists such as Bayan Muna, Anakpawis Partylist and Gabriela Women’s Party for the coming elections. It was reported that Bayan Muna is being implicated with Morong 43 and in Binangonan, Arambulo’s Anakpawis ID card is being used as evidence for his connection to the NPA.

“The Binangonan police really needs human rights education as they are dumb on the process of arresting people. Arambulo was arrested without charge, detained for more than a day for a light offense such as vagrancy,” said Flores.

“Also, the police officers do not formally introduce themselves, as Pamalakaya and Anakpawis leaders are asking for the names of the arresting officers, Binangonan police are withholding them,” added Flores.

“We support the plan of Pamalakaya national office to file charges against those who illegally arrested and detained him. We call for justice for the violations of Arambulo’s rights by the PNP and all of the victims of human rights abuses,” called Flores. #