The Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives on Friday condemned the issuance of arrest warrants against four former leftist lawmakers and government officials on what they called trumped-up charges of double murder in Nueva Ecija.
They were reacting to the arrest warrants issued by the Palayan, Nueva Ecija regional trial court for former representatives Satur Ocampo and Teddy Casiño (Bayan Muna), former Agrarian Reform secretary Rafael Mariano, and incumbent National Anti-Poverty Commission Secretary Liza Maza.
In a joint statement, the group questioned the Palayan RTC judge Evelyn Atienza-Turla for allegedly altering her previous ruling that the complaint filed did not meet the standards for probable cause.
“The Palayan RTC should have decided to dismiss the case for lack of evidence but instead issued a warrant of arrest for the four former progressive solons,” the group said.
The four former lawmakers will file a motion for reconsideration next week, said Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate, who dismissed the charges as “outrageous, unbelievable and preposterous.”
The complaint alleges that Ocampo, Casiño, Mariano, and Maza met with high-ranking officers of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army on Dec. 23, 2003, and ordered the killing of one Jimmy Peralta.
They also allegedly ordered the killing of Carlito Bayudang on May 6, 2004. Both killings were purported to ensure the victory of Bayan Muna.
Malacañang said Friday it will allow the legal process to run its course in the Nueva Ecija case.
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque declined to comment further, saying the Palace respected the independence of the courts.
In 2006, the four party-list lawmakers were accused of being involved in the killing of Danilo Felipe in 2001, Jimmy Peralta back in 2003, and Carlito Bayudang in 2004.
The three victims were supporters of Bayan Muna’s rival Party-list Anakbayan.
Maza previously represented Gabriela Women’s party while Mariano became part of Anakpawis Party-list as a lawmaker before they both joined the Duterte administration.
In 2006, Ocampo, Casiño, Maza and Mariano, with former Rep. Joel Virador (Bayan Muna), were tagged as the “Batasan Five” for seeking refuge at the House of Representatives amid the charges filed against them.
Bayan Secretary-General Renato Reyes on Friday questioned the issuance of arrest warrants.
At a news conference in Quezon City, Reyes questioned the timing of the issuance of the warrants by a lower court in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija days after former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo took over the House speakership.
Reyes, along with former-lawmaker Neri Colmenares, said they were shocked by the issuance of the warrants.
“Similar [criminal] cases against former lawmakers Satur Ocampo, Teddy Casiño, Liza Maza and Rafael Mariano had been dismissed by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court. We were surprised why the case in Palayan City prospered despite the lack of merit. Those cases were just fabricated,” he told reporters.
He called on the Duterte administration to “respect the rights” of the four accused.
Maza is now the chairperson of the Nationa Anti-Poverty Commission, while Mariano was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte as the secretary of the Department of Agrarian Reform in June 2016.
In 2008, Judge Evelyn Turla remanded the charges to the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor, saying “the proper procedure in the conduct of the preliminary investigation was not followed” and that prosecutors should conduct a proper preliminary investigation.
The respondents elevated their plea to the Supreme Court that partially granted their petition and ordered the case sent to the provincial prosecutor’s office.
But the prosecutor’s office remanded the case to the Palayan City court “for further proceedings with due and deliberate dispatch in accordance with this decision.”
Lawyer Rachel Pastores representing the respondents said they will file a motion for reconsideration before the lower court on Monday.
She could not say if Ocampo, Casiño, Maza, and Mariano would surrender any time.
“But one thing is sure, they will face the charges,” she said.