Cordillera Peoples
Alliance chairperson Windel Bolinget, accompanied by his lawyer Atty. Jose
Molintas, attended Sept. 21 a hearing at the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch
19 on the motion Bolinget filed last August 31 seeking removal of his name from
the Dept. of Justice’s terrorist list and dismissal of the DOJ petition
describing the Communist Party of the Philippines and New People’s Army as terrorist organizations.
“We hope the
court will immediately act favorably on the motion and dismiss the entire
petition of the Dept. of Justice,” Bolinget said. “We reiterate that the DOJ
petition is baseless, malicious, and puts at risk the safety and security of
the names listed therein. We do not deserve to be criminalized and politically
vilified when all we do is protect our rights as indigenous peoples, human
rights, fundamental freedoms and the country’s democracy.”
Dept. of
Justice’s Senior Assistant State Prosecutor, Peter Ong, was present during the
hearing.
The DOJ was
given two weeks to respond to the motion Bolinget filed along with previous motions
filed by his colleagues Joanna Patricia Cariño, Jeannette
Ribaya-Cawiding, Joan Carling, Beverly Longid who were also tagged as members
of a terrorist organization.
After this,
the court will come out with decisions on the motions,” Bolinget said.
Earlier
statements released by the CPA and various groups stated that the DOJ
proscription list was a clear attack on the CPA by naming seven previous and present
leaders of the organization as terrorists .
“It (DOJ
list) intends to quell legitimate dissent and threaten indigenous human rights
defenders in the region and across the country that staunchly assert their
right to self-determination, defend their ancestral lands and the environment.”
For nearly
four decades, he said, the CPA has been in the forefront of the Cordillera
peoples’ struggle since the dark years of martial law under the Marcos
dictatorship.
“The DOJ
petition, various trumped-up charges filed by the Armed Forces of the
Philippines against indigenous human rights defenders and activists,
militarization of Cordillera communities and human rights violations, coupled
with various applications for mining, dams and other energy projects clearly show
that we are currently under a de facto martial law. Our ancestral
lands are under attack and the people who have the courage to stand up are
being criminalized, tagged as terrorists and politically vilified,” said
Bolinget.
The hearing
coincided with the commemoration of Martial Law.
“The Cordillera people will resist Duterte’s
dictatorship, as we did during the Martial Law years,” Bolinget said. “We
enjoin concerned citizens to be vigilant and continue to defend the people from
any form of human rights violations and oppression. Never again to martial law”
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