Government crackdown intensifies

THE police today forwarded to the Department of Justice two lists containing the names of a total of 59 individuals, including members of leftist party-list groups, leaders of the communist party and renegade soldiers, that it said were guilty of rebellion and insurrection “committed on February 24, 2006,” the day President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo announced she had preempted an attempted coup and declared a state of emergency.

The list, however, does not include Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, who the military said was a leader of the aborted attempted “withdrawal of support” from the Arroyo government that took place last Friday. Also excluded from the list is Col. Ariel Querubin, the commander of the 1st Marine Brigade, who admitted in yesterday’s standoff at Fort Bonifacio that he had intended to join last Friday’s protests.

Instead, the lists, contained in two letters sent today by the Philippine National Police (PNP) Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM) to Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales, indicates mainly a crackdown on the legal Left and the communist party. And while there were only 59 on these lists, the police also included “others who may be identified later.” The PNP letters came with investigation records on the named individuals, who they said were guilty of violations of Articles 134 and 135 of the Revised Penal Code, which penalizes rebellion, insurrection and coup d’etat — all nonbailable offenses punishable with life imprisonment.

“This means that they can be charged and arrested any time,” said Theodore Te of the Free Legal Aid Group or FLAG. Government lawyers have said that as rebellion is a continuing crime, and those who are guilty can be arrested even without warrants. Bayan Muna party list representative Joel G. Virador, for example, was arrested without a warrant in Davao City earlier today. On Saturday, Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran was picked up in Bulacan, also in a warrantless arrest, while Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo eluded an arrest attempt.

FLAG lawyers are worried that many more arrests are in the offing. The PNP said last week that it had 200 names on its arrest list.

“This brings back too many old memories,” said lawyer Cookie Diokno, also of FLAG, whose father, the late human-rights lawyer and senator Jose W. Diokno, was imprisoned during martial law. “They’re not even talking about the events of last Friday, and if these people were really involved in those events, why is Danny Lim not there? Obviously there is a different treatment for civilians and for the military and the police.”

The list includes a mix of soldiers and leftists, corresponding to government claims of a conspiracy among leftists and rightists out to overthrow the Arroyo government. These include exiled Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) leaders Jose Ma. Sison, Luis Jalandoni and Fidel Agacoili and 44 other alleged communist leaders and members; all six congressmen who are members of the leftist party list groups Bayan Muna, Gabriela and Anakpawis; Reform the Armed Forces (RAM) leaders Gregorio Honasan, Jake Malajacan and Felix Turingan, and three lieutenants.

In his letter to the justice department, Police Chief Supt. Rodolfo “Boogie” Mendoza Jr., an intelligence officer asssociated with Mrs. Arroyo and now acting deputy director of the PNP Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM), alleged that the CPP had drawn up a three-year plan for 2003-2005 “to raise the level of the people’s war and make advances in the revolution. ” It said that CPP-New People’s Army “atrocities” to advance their goals included raids and ambuscades, selective assassinations of former communists, employment of child combatants, mass killings and use of land mines. There was nothing in the letter that links directly to last Friday’s events. It was this letter that listed 51 names, mainly associated with the CPP.

In a separate letter (click here for a copy), Sr. Supt. Yolanda Tanigue, acting executive officer of the DIDM, said that renegade young officers recruited to the Makabayang Kawal ng Pilipinas or MKP, allegedly a rebel group organized by Honasan in December 2004, had plotted to oust Arroyo in alliance with the communists. Tanigue presented as evidence the affidavits of six young officers who were supposedly recruited to the MKP but who bolted when they learned of its “tactical alliance” with the communists.

FLAG lawyers, who have seen the affidavits and exhibits submitted by the PNP were incredulous. Some of the evidence presented, they said, included affidavits issued for completely unrelated cases, including those involving the assassinations of former communists, allegedly by the CPP. Except for the affidavits of the six officers and the arrest of a renegade officer last week with a lawyer allegedly with communist links, they said there was nothing to prove the supposed Left-Right conspiracy, much less the involvement of these individuals in last Friday’s events.

Diokno asked: “Why is JV Ejercito not on the list, when he was supposedly texting people to come to the soldiers’ aid yesterday? Why are Peping Cojuangco and Boy Saycon not on the list, when they were supposedly plotting with Danny Lim?”

“Marcos had complete control of the military,” said Diokno, “Arroyo does not, that is why she is using the police to crack down. You think she can relieve any military officer after what happened yesterday? Do you think she can discipline any other officer in the military?”

The following are the names on the two PNP lists:

1. Jose Ma. Sison
2. Luis Jalandoni
3. Benito and Wilma Tiamzon
4. Rafael Mariano
   
5. Satur Ocampo
   
6. Crispin Beltran
   
7. Teodoro A. Casiño
   
8. Liza Maza
9. Joel Virador
   
10. Gregorio Rosal
11. Tirso Alcantara
12. Benjamin Mendoza
13. Vic Ladlad
    
14. Nathaniel Santiago
    
15. Sotero Llamas
16. Julio Atienza
    
17. Edilberto Escudero
    
18. Rosemarie Domanais
    
19. Rogelio Villanueva
    
20. Leo Velasco
    
21. Rafael Baylosis
22. Prudencio Calubid
    
23. Philip Limjoco
24. Julius Giron
    
25. Allan Jasminez
26. Antonio Cabanatan
27. Fidel Agcaoli
28. Edilberto Silva
    
29. Ma. Concepcion Araneta Bocala
    
30. Jorge Madlos
31. Eugenia Topacio
    
32. Francisco Fernandez
33. Carlos Borjal
    
34. Elizabet Princepe
35. Juliet Sison
    
36. Randal Echaniz
37. Rey Claro Casandre
38. Edwin Alcid
    
39. Tita Lubi
    
40. Abdias Guadania
    
41. Mike Gamara
42. 1Lt. Lawrence San Juan
    
43. Atty. Christopher Belmonte
44. Gregorio Honasan
45. Ret. Col. Jake Malajacan
    
46. Ret. Capt. Felix Turingan
47. 1Lt. Angelbert Gay
    
48. 1Lt. Patricio Bumidang
49. 2Lt. Aldrin Baldonado

alias

1. Friday
2. Ka Selrio
3. Kim
4. Tasio
5. Randy
6. Rosa Bisa
7. Novo
8. Elya
9. Rose

and several other John and Jane Does