At around 10:30 in the morning of 22 November 2010, the combined elements of the Regional PNP and 902nd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army (902nd IBPA) forcibly entered the office of KARAPATAN-Camarines Norte in F. Pimentel Ave.,Pasig, Brgy. II, Daet. KARAPATAN-Camarines Norte shares this office with the Makabayan (Nationalist) Coalition and the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas -Camarines Norte (KMP or the Philippine Peasant Movement-Camarines Norte).
At around 10:30 in the morning of 22 November 2010, the combined elements of the Regional PNP and 902nd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army (902nd IBPA) forcibly entered the office of KARAPATAN-Camarines Norte in F. Pimentel Ave.,Pasig, Brgy. II, Daet. KARAPATAN-Camarines Norte shares this office with the Makabayan (Nationalist) Coalition and the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas -Camarines Norte (KMP or the Philippine Peasant Movement-Camarines Norte).
Denver Bacolod, Esmeraldo “Tatay Smith” Bardon, Mherlo Bermas and Elpidio Deluna, who were inside the office, were illegally arrested and detained. The security forces searched the area and seized the following items: one laptop, one personal computer with printer, digital camera, handycam and six cellular phones.
At around 11:30 AM, Maricel R. Delen arrived at the office and she was surprised to find soldiers, in full battle gear, swarming the area. They were armed with rifles. She composed herself and calmly walked towards the small eatery in front of the office. She went straight to the back where she could see the office. She saw soldiers and policemen inside walking to and fro. She stayed inside the eatery for about 15 minutes but was forced to leave because soldiers were loitering nearby.
On her way out to the main road, she met Jun Quibral of radio DZMD, the godfather of her child, who told her that the office was raided because allegedly the residents were members of the New People’s Army (NPA). Maricel asked him, “I live there and you know me, am I an NPA?”
When she reached the main road, she met a soldier who asked her why she went inside the eatery. Fearing that she too would be arrested, she told him that she is a relative of the owner and she was allowed to go.
At around 12:00 noon, Mr. Santiago Mella, Jr., President of Makabayan Coalition and the Municipal Administrator of Daet rushed to the area upon learning of the raid. He found out that the raid was not coordinated with the Daet PNP. The two Daet policemen who were present at the raid were met by the police raiding team along the way and were told to come along with the team. Allegedly there was a search warrant in the name of Maricel R. Delen, Esmeraldo Bardon and a certain Carmen Carreon. The search warrant was reportedly with the soldiers and the Daet police did not have a copy.
The military, through the spokesperson of the 9th IDPA, Col. Leoncio Cirunay, granted an interview to the media claiming that the raid was due to the report that the KARAPATAN office served as a safehouse of the NPA and there were NPA members hiding there. They also alleged that it served as a recruitment center for the rebel group.
At around 3:00 PM, Tatay Smith was escorted out of the KARAPATAN office and was brought to the Provincial Police Station. An hour after, Denver, Mherlo and Elpidio were brought to the hospital for routine physical examination and later brought to the Daet Police Station.
By 6:00 PM, all four were gathered together at the Daet Police Station.
By afternoon of the following day, the victims underwent inquest proceedings. All of them were charged with Inciting to Sedition, Illegal Possession of Explosives and Rebellion. Earlier in the media interview with the military spokesperson, he claimed that in addition to the three charges, Tatay Smith was charged with Murder. But the charge sheet did not include the murder charge against Esmeraldo ‘Tatay Smith’ Bardon.
Elpidio was staying at the KARAPATAN office while undergoing treatment for tuberculosis which he acquired during his incarceration for trumped up cases that were all dismissed in October of this year.