PNP to refile kidnapping cases against Ocampo's group.
Philippine National Police ( PNP) Director General Oscar Albayalde on Monday said they will be re-filing kidnapping cases against former Bayan Muna Representative Satur Ocampo and 17 other who were arrested in Davao del Norte last week.
Albayalde, in a press conference in Camp Crame, said the case may not be accepted by the prosecutor, but it is still not dismissed. Ocampo's group were released on bail by a Tagum City court Saturday.
"So I just talked with the regional director (Chief Supt. Mario Morales) this morning and they will be re-filing the case because there are five parents who signed their affidavits and are planning to file a case of kidnapping against ( former Bayan Muna Partylist Rep.) Satur Ocampo's camp," he said.
"Hopefully the fiscal will accept it since there is a complaint from parents," he said.
Albayalde said they cannot fabricate charges after Ocampo said cases filed against them were fabricated.
"That is their opinion. What can we expect if they are also included (in the incident)? We cannot fabricate charges," he said.
"What's important here is we based our charges on the complaint of the parents and the relatives," he added.
On the challenge of ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro for police to visit learning centers to check if subersive material are being taught, Albayalde said here is no need to visit those community-based school as they believe the statement of the indigenous people ( IP).
"Well, there is no need since they will teach subjects differently once you arrive there. We believe those IPs, lumads who went here," he said.
"You could just imagine they are being exploited there and their minds are being poisoned. Remember those who are wounded in the rallies here in Metro Manila, they came from Mindanao. They were taught how to conduct rallies there- you could just imagine teaching them a different national anthem. That what the lumads told us when they went here," he added.
Eighteen members of a National Solidarity Mission, led by Ocampo and Castro, were arrested in a military checkpoint last November 29 for allegedly trafficking children from Talaingod, Davao del Norte.
Included in their convoy of five vans were 29 students of Lumad schools, 12 of whom are minors.
Ocampo's group denied the allegations, saying they are conducting "humanitarian mission" in the area as the lumads are experiencing food blockade and harassment from the military. Ella Dionisio/DMS
