On October 3, 2019, Karapatan, Gabriela, and the Rural
Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP) are set to file a rejoinder to the
prosecutor’s office, with regard to allegations made by National Security
Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. This will be the last process before the
trumped-up perjury case filed by Esperon will be submitted for resolution
before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office.
On October 3, 2019, Karapatan, Gabriela, and the Rural
Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP) are set to file a rejoinder to the
prosecutor’s office, with regard to allegations made by National Security
Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. This will be the last process before the
trumped-up perjury case filed by Esperon will be submitted for resolution
before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office. The false and malicious charges
were lodged against officers of the said groups on July 2, 2019, after said
organizations filed an amparo and habeas data petition at the Supreme Court in
May 2019 to seek legal protection from threats and violence as human rights
defenders and development workers.
“Esperon’s complaint does not hold water. It is based on
contorted allegations used to harass Karapatan, Gabriela, and the RMP.
Esperon’s complaint cited that RMP committed perjury because it allegedly made
a false statement on the organization’s Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC) registration. Despite only mentioning RMP’s case, Gabriela and Karapatan
were still included in the perjury case. There are no direct claims against the
other two organizations, but we will all face this together. Esperon’s side is
now hurrying to stretch their lies, but even they know they are walking on thin
ice,” said Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay.
Shortly after Esperon’s perjury case, RMP released a
statement stating that it did not have any intent to falsify, manufacture, or
misrepresent anything, even on minute procedural points. RMP clarified that
they have records showing they filed for a renewal of registration in 2010 and
from then on, have been submitting General Information Sheet (GIS) and Audited
Financial Statements to the SEC, thus bolstering their assertion that they exist
as a de facto NGO. No notice that their application was rejected was given to
RMP.
“RMP has shown that it did not make a willful and deliberate
assertion of falsehood, unlike what Esperon would want to maliciously
insinuate. During the course of the amparo petition, it has been clarified that
organizations – whether registered with the SEC or not – still have legal
standing to avail of the amparo remedy. Esperon is really gritting his teeth as
he runs out of absurd lies to hurl against human rights organizations. This
government wants to turn the tables on human rights defenders, nuns,
filmmakers, women activists, and others who sought protection from a series of
violations, but they have merely exposed their rotten, vindictive and devious
schemes,” said Palabay.
“The likes of Esperon are truly shameful. From being Gloria
Arroyo’s lapdog and corrupt general, he is now a bootlicking minion for
Duterte. Esperon’s career has been fraught with corruption, irregularities, and
human rights violations. Now, he is among the leaders in the government’s
crusade against human rights defenders under the National Task Force (NTF) to
End Local Communist Armed Conflict. Esperon has no credibility to accuse human
rights defenders because he is a sorry excuse for a man. We remember his crimes
against the Filipino people,” added Palabay.
“No matter how much government seek to sidetrack the issue
and silence the victims, the problems of State-perpetrated human rights
violations continue and the call for justice reverberates. For this case, we stand alongside RMP in
asserting that no deliberate and willful falsehood was done in the course of
our amparo and habeas data petition. This perjury charge is baseless, akin to
the many lies that these militarists have peddled. We thus urge the Department
of Justice to immediately dismiss this case,” Palabay concluded.