TEMPORARY FREEDOM. Valentina Berden, 78, is among the 78 farmers who were detained after the violent dispersal in Kidapawan City on April 1. The 78 detainees were granted temporary liberty after posting bail with the help of showbiz personalities and lawyers’ group. Here she shows the photo of the violent dispersal where she was on the photo being shielded by a police officer. However, Berden was among those who were charged with direct assault against person in authority. (Contributed photo)
DAVAO CITY – A total of 78 farmers who were detained after the violent dispersal in Kidapawan last April 1 were released on bail on April 16, Saturday.
The 78 farmers, who were among the thousands who barricaded the national highway in Kidapawan City to demand government aid including the release of 15,000 sacks of rice, were charged with “direct assault on a person of authority.”
Three weeks of the 78 were also charged with frustrated homicide, said legal counsel Atty. Sarah Villamor of the National Union of People’s Lawyers.
The released farmers, according to Villamor, still need to be explained about their cases.
“We have to explain the legal matters to them, this is only provisional liberty. We still need to finalize their affidavits, (then) counter suit will be filed against responsible government officials,” Villamor said.
Atty. Joel Mahinay of the Union of People’s Lawyers in Mindanao said that the farmers have to prepare
themselves to deal with the case.
“Because this is not easy, direct assault with public officers is not a simple case,” Mahinay said.
Mahinay also said that the farmers need to understand their case for “it is a serious case, they are not yet totally free but (were only given) a temporary liberty.”
“You have to explain to them how come that they are only asking for rice, but they are charged for direct assault,” Villamor said.
“Posting the bail is just the beginning, there is still a case that has to be faced,” Villamor said.
Villamor said on April 13, 10 were released, another 20 on April 14, and 48 on April 16.
Those released on Saturday did not include the three individuals who were released earlier after posting P12,000 bail bond each. Two of them were volunteer health workers who were assisted by Father Peter Geremia of the Arakan parish.
The court has later reduced the bail from P12,000 to P6,000 each.
Villamor said the total amount paid as bail was P559,200 which came from different individuals, local celebrities, and support groups. Filipino songwriter and singer, Aiza Seguerra and her wife Liza Diño-Seguerra helped in gathering funds by pitching
in cash donations from their peers in the industry.
Mahinay added that the amount they gathered was short of around P50,000, but was immediately paid by Vice Ganda, through the facilitation of actor Robin Padilla’s staff.
“The biggest bulk (of the bail) is from the artist group. Aside from that, Vice Ganda also gave P1,500 for each detainee,” Mahinay said.
Other groups such as paralegal Karapatan, Union of People’s Lawyers in Mindanao, Public Interest Law Center, Integrated Bar of the Philippines, also helped in facilitating the release of the farmers since after the violent dispersal last April 1.
Motion to quash
LEGAL COUNSELS. Atty. Joel Mahinay from the Union of People’s Lawyers in Mindanao says the farmers who were charged after the violent dispersal in Kidapawan City have to prepare themselves for the case. 78 farmers were granted temporary liberty after posting a total of P559,200 bail bond which were sourced from concerned showbiz personalities and private groups. (Contributed photo).
Villamor said they filed a motion to quash the information for direct assault but it was already denied by the court.
“We in NUPL, UPLM, and PILC, have manifested our intention to file for a motion for reconsideration to that denial of the motion to quash and that motion is going to be heard on April 25,” she added.
Villamor said they raised the motion “for lack of jurisdiction and due to the illegal arrests made against those farmers.”
She said the court denied the motion saying that it has jurisdiction and “has already issued an information on the case.”
Atty. Mahinay added that the motion is still “subject for litigation because there is a motion for reconsideration.”
“And also the court has not yet released its written order on that regard. Hopefully, we can receive that order next week,” he said.
Thankful
The local chapter of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas in North Cotabato considered the incident historical.
“We were only demanding for the calamity fund, but some of the protesters were detained and killed,” said Jerry Alborme, KMP spokesperon said.
Alborme said they are thankful to the lawyers who helped the farmers.
“We also thanked the groups who showed sympathy for the farmers,” Alborme added.
He said they will continue to seek justice for their fellow farmers and they hope that the government officials who were responsible for the incident will be held accountable.(davaotoday.com)
