The Samahan ng Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto (SELDA) vehemently condemned the unjust and wrongful conviction of former political prisoner and former SELDA National Board member Ka Satur Ocampo by the Davao del Norte Regional Trial Court Branch 2.
Ocampo, a former political prisoner under Marcos Sr., endured torture, including severe beatings and electrocution during martial law. He was arrested again during Corazon Aquino’s tenure. In 2006, under Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s administration, Ka Satur and other party-list representatives were unjustly charged with rebellion by the Department of Justice, a case later dismissed by the Supreme Court.
SELDA also strongly denounced the verdict against Ka Satur’s co-accused namely ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro, two ACT members, as well as the administrator and the eight teachers of the Salugpungan Ta ‘Tanu Igkanogon Community Learning Center.
“This is outrageous and unacceptable. Ka Satur is a known freedom fighter, he is not a criminal. To accuse him of the crime of child abuse is preposterous enough, let alone convicting him. This is political persecution of those who are engaged in benevolent acts,” said Bonifacio Ilagan, SELDA spokesperson.
On November 28, 2018, teachers, students, and staff of the Salugpungan Ta’Tanu Igkanogon Community Learning Center, Inc., a Lumad learning institution in Talaingod, Davao del Norte, urgently called for help after the Armed Forces of the Philippines and paramilitary group Alamara blocked their food and school supplies and eventually padlocked the schools.
Ka Satur and Rep. Castro responded to the distress call to help protect the teachers and children from harassment and imminent danger, while on the national solidarity mission in Southern Mindanao on November 28, 2018.
During Duterte’s presidency, Lumad schools in Mindanao faced relentless attacks from the military and the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC). Today, these schools, which have served the indigenous people in remote areas of Mindanao, remain closed under the repressive administration of Marcos Jr.
“Duterte, who publicly called for the bombing of Lumad schools, and his notorious NTF-ELCAC blatantly disregarded all human rights and international humanitarian law instruments, and yet they remain untouched to this day. Impunity prevails and justice remains elusive,” added Bonifacio Ilagan.
SELDA also criticized current National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano’s statement on the unjust conviction of Ka Satur, Rep. Castro and the Lumad teachers, saying “this is precisely how the weaponization of the law continues to this day.”
“NSA Ano and the NTF-ELCAC have put so many people in danger and in jail on fabricated charges. Their rule of law is the rule of perpetuating injustice through the justice system in the country. They are the ones who should be held accountable for their grave violations on the rights of indigenous people,” Ilagan said.