[Ppnews] GABRIELA Network Condemns the Unlawful Arrest of Representative Satur Ocampo

[Political Prisoner News]

STATEMENT
Contact: Annalisa Enrile, National Chair, GABRIELA Network
Email: <mailto:chair at gabnet.org>chair at gabnet.org
Date: March 16, 2007

GABRIELA Network Condemns the Unlawful Arrest of Representative Satur Ocampo

Bayan Muna Partylist representative Satur Ocampo 
was arrested the afternoon of March 16, 2007 in 
Manila as he walked down the steps of the Supreme Court.

Ka Satur is being falsely accused of murder of at 
least 62 members of the New People's Army back in 
1984.  Aside from evidence that skeletons found 
at the alleged mass NPA gravesite were linked to 
a previous murder case, these allegations against 
Ka Satur are impossible.  At the time of the 
murders in 1984, Ka Satur was serving time as a 
political prisoner during President Marcos' martial law.

Ka Satur's arrest comes within a day or two of 
U.S. Senate subcommittee hearings on the 
extrajudicial killings and disappearances of 
activists, lay leaders and their families in the 
Philippines.  The Senate Subcommittee of East 
Asian and Pacific Affairs, chaired by Senator 
Barbara Boxer, learned about the 836 murders of 
activists and their families that have occurred 
under Philippine President Arroyo's watch.  The 
hearing was the result of efforts of many 
community and ecumenical leaders, including the 
top executive of the U.S. National Council of 
Churches of Christ.  During the time of the 
hearings, Ka Satur surfaced on the internet, 
appealing to the international community to not 
turn their heads away from President Arroyo's 
atrocious human rights violations 
record.  Shortly thereafter, he made plans to 
arrive at the Supreme Court in Manila to petition 
for a Temporary restraining order as well as 
certiorari – a legal term used to request of a 
higher court that it demand the documents and 
other material from a case that a lower court has 
ruled on, in an attempt to overturn the lower 
courts decision. After making his petition, he was arrested.

It is dishonorable and a disgrace that right 
after a U.S. Senate hearing on human rights 
violations in the Philippines occurs that 
so-called US ally Arroyo allows the police to 
arrest long time activist Satur Ocampo.  GABNet 
Campaigns Director, Lalee Vicedo states, "It is 
shameful that the Philippine Supreme court, well 
aware of the rabid police just outside of its 
doors, failed to intervene immediately after Ka 
Satur sought their help." And it is disgusting 
and outrageous how the Philippine police can 
knowingly frame and arrest an innocent man.  As 
we continue a yearlong vigil for Ka Bel, another 
Representative who was has been detained since 
last year during Arroyo's state of emergency 
under false pretenses, and as we stand in a state 
of disbelief at Ka Satur's arrest, we, GABRIELA 
Network, brace ourselves for the likely and 
eventual arrest of Gabriela Women's Party, Representative Liza Maza.

GABNet US urges our allies, community members, 
and all freedom loving people to stand in 
militant unity with us against the fascist arrest 
of Ka Satur and to remain vigilant with us in the 
likely event the Liza Maza is arrested.  Long 
live Ka Bel!  Long live Ka Satur!  Long live Liza 
Maza!  Long live the people's fight against fascism and state terror!


-- 
Annalisa Vicente Enrile
Chairperson, GABRIELA Network
PO Box 403, Times Square Station
New York, New York  10036
Tel: 1.619.316.0920
Email: <mailto:chair at gabnet.org>chair at gabnet.org

GABRIELA Network is a Philippine-US women's 
solidarity mass organization. GABNet
provides the means by which Filipinas in the US can empower themselves,
functions as training ground for women's leadership, and articulates the
women's point of view. GABNet effects change through organizing, educating,
fundraising, networking, and advocacy.

SULONG GABRIELA –LUMABAN- MAKIBAKA!

The Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 863-9977
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