Crackdown vs Southern Tagalog Activists Continues; Peasant Leader Arrested

BY BULATLAT

Another activist leader from Southern Tagalog was arrested last night for trumped-up murder charges.

Rogelio Galit, spokesperson of Katipunan ng mga Magbubukid sa Kabite (Kamagsasaka-Ka) was taken by some 15 armed men in civilian clothes at around 7:30 p.m. from his house in Brgy. Kaong, Silang Cavite. According to Karapatan (Alliance for the Advancement of Human Rights)-Southern Tagalog, Galit would be brought to Camp Vicente Lim in Calamba City.

Galit is among 72 others who were charged of multiple murder and multiple frustrated murder in connection to a raid by the New People’s Army in Puerto Galera, Mindoro Oriental last March 3, 2006.

Karapatan-Southern Tagalog said Galit is suffering from diabetes and is already bedridden.

Besides Galit, three more have been arrested: Labor lawyer Remigio Saladero, transport sector leader Nestor San Jose and Bayan Muna member Crispin Zapanta. They have been detained at the Calapan City District Jail.

Galit, Saladero, San Jose and 14 other respondents in the Mindoro incident were also slapped with charges of arson, destruction of property and conspiracy to commit rebellion in connection to the burning down of a Globe cell site in Lemery, Batangas.

Glen Malabanan, deputy secretary general of Karapatan-Southern Tagalog said the charges were fabricated and form part of the Arroyo administration’s ongoing campaign to silence activists.

“This tactic of wholesale filing of criminal charges against activists is a systematic effort of the Arroyo regime’s internal security agencies. It is still under Arroyo’s counter-insurgency program Oplan Bantay Laya,” Malabanan said.

Malaban said the charges were meant to paralyze these activists by detaining them and forcing them to go into hiding. (Bulatlat.com)