“The attempt of former National Security Adviser Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. and Gen. Eduardo Año, NTF-ELCAC co-vice chair and current security adviser, to pursue the judicial harassment against Karapatan through this trumped-up and malicious charges of perjury is a desperate act intended to hound human rights defenders. Sa madaling salita, tirang pikon itong ginagawa nila,” said Cristina Palabay, Secretary General of Karapatan, on Tuesday, in time for the hearing of the petition for certiorari filed at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court, on the acquittal of ten human rights defenders on trumped-up and malicious charges of perjury.
The petition, filed by the Quezon City Office of the Prosecutor on March 2, 2023 at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 84 under Judge Luisito Galvez Cortez, was verified by Esperon and Año. The petition impleaded Judge Aimee Marie Alcera as public respondent and the ten human rights defenders as private respondents, and alleged that Alcera committed “grave abuse of discretion” in acquitting the ten human rights defenders.
“It is not only the human rights defenders who are under attack, but also the judges like Judge Alcera who have demonstrated their integrity and independence by issuing judgments that are not to the liking of those in power,” Palabay said.
“We maintain that this case is a retaliatory measure after Esperon was included as respondent in our petition for legal protection due to growing threats and attacks against Karapatan. With Año as current National Security Adviser, their attempt to revive this form of judicial harassment is likewise a display of their contempt and hubris against rights defenders who hold them accountable,” she added.
Karapatan continues to call for accountability and justice for human rights violations committed under the two retired generals, during the time both of them were high-ranking officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and as implementers of the state’s counter-insurgency programs, that have resulted to hundreds if not thousands of cases of killings, disappearances, unjust arrests, militarization of communities, among others.
Karapatan National Council members Elisa Tita Lubi, Cristina Palabay, Roneo Clamor, Gabriela Krista Dalena, Dr. Edita Burgos, Jose Mari Callueng and Fr. Wilfredo Ruazol as well as Sr. Elenita Belardo of the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP), and Gertrudes Libang and Joan May Salvador of GABRIELA were acquitted in January 2023 of perjury charges filed in 2019 by Esperon Jr.
A protest action outside the courts was held in support of the ten human rights defenders, all leaders and members of Karapatan, Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP) and Gabriela.
“We hope that the courts disallow this freak show of these power-tripping generals, and uphold justice that has been served, against this ill-disguised attempt to violate the human rights defenders’ right against double jeopardy, or being tried twice for the same offense,” said Palabay.