Group hits arrest of indigenous leader

Rights group Karapatan in Caraga slammed on Monday the arrest of a leader of an indigenous and partylist group in the region, claiming it was a political harassment. 

Karapatan-Caraga Secretary General Naty Castro said policemen who arrested Jalandoni Campos were just in plainclothes. 

"Jalandoni Campos’s arrest is blatant political harassment against progressive people’s organizations and partylists," Castro said. 

Castro said Campos is chairperson of the Manobo intermunicipal organization in Lianga, San Agustin and Marihatag, Surigao del Sur, Malahutayong Pakigbisog Alang sa Sumusunod and council member of the Mindanao Lumad alliance, Kalumaran.  

Authorities nabbed Campos around 8 p.m.  last March 23 as he was leaving the SURE FM radio station in Tandag City, Surigao del Sur. He was guest of radio anchorman Nick Acapulco and represented the Katribu Partylist during the one-hour program prior to his arrest.  

Campos is now detained at the Tandag City police.   

Police served the warrant of arrest for rebellion issued by Judge Alfredo Jalad of Regional Trial Court Branch 28 in Tandag City in connection with the Lianga Police Station raid that was done by the New People's Army on April 28, 2011. 

Aside from Campos, 36 other civilians and members of MAPASU are also named respondents in the case and warrant of arrest.

"Campos and the other MAPASU members were not informed of the complaint filed against them, despite the fact that Campos is well-known in Lianga as the leader of one of the biggest people’s organizations there," Castro said.  

"The warrant of arrest was issued without allowing those accused to respond to the charges against them. Clearly there was no reasonable investigation to determine probable cause," she added.

She said Campos and MAPASU leaders are active in the campaign against large-scale mining in the Andap Valley complex in Surigao del Sur, leading the group to thwart combat and civil-military operations in the 22 MAPASU communities in the past.

Castro said the case against Campos and MAPASU is among the 12 documented cases of trumped up charges filed against over 80 leaders and members of progressive organizations in the Caraga region.  

“We have engaged the local prosecutors’ office and the Department of Justice to address these cases since 2012 but the cases have persisted despite their reassurances to reinvestigate," Castro added.