Esperon to pursue charges against RMP, Gabriela and Karapatan
Published Feb 26, 2020 12:00 am
By Martin Sadongdong
National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. disclosed on Wednesday that he will pursue charges against 11 members of the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP), Gabriela Women's Party, and Karapatan Alliance for the Advancement of People's Rights in connection with the perjury case filed against a nun last year.
National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. (JANSEN ROMERO / MANILA BULLETIN)
" shall be pursuing a motion for reconsideration against the 11 others accused due to a well-founded belief that they acted in conspiracy with one another and with malicious intent," Esperon said.
In July 2019, Esperon announced that he filed a perjury case against Sister Elenita Belardo and 11 others for allegedly making false allegations about government officials.
This, after RMP, Gabriela and Karapatan included Esperon as one of the respondents in their petition for writ of amparo and habeas data filed before the Court of Appeals due to some government officials'Â alleged harassment and red-tagging tactics.
In June 2019, the Court of Appeals denied the petition of the rights groups due to lack of evidence.
In turn, Esperon filed a counter-suit against them.
A Quezon City court then decided that Belardo be held for trial after she swore under oath in their petition that she is a member of the RMP, claiming it was a "registered non-stock and non-profit organization" when its registration had already been revoked in 2003 as per records from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Prosecutors eventually cleared 11 others, including Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay, of the perjury charges while Belardo posted an P18,000 bail.
But Esperon believes that the RMP, Gabriela and Karapatan are "front organizations" of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) which seek "to undermine President Duterte's counter-insurgency initiatives."
Gabriela, Karapatan and other rights groups earlier denounced Esperon's complaint as part of the Duterte administration's crackdown on his critics.
National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. (JANSEN ROMERO / MANILA BULLETIN)
" shall be pursuing a motion for reconsideration against the 11 others accused due to a well-founded belief that they acted in conspiracy with one another and with malicious intent," Esperon said.
In July 2019, Esperon announced that he filed a perjury case against Sister Elenita Belardo and 11 others for allegedly making false allegations about government officials.
This, after RMP, Gabriela and Karapatan included Esperon as one of the respondents in their petition for writ of amparo and habeas data filed before the Court of Appeals due to some government officials'Â alleged harassment and red-tagging tactics.
In June 2019, the Court of Appeals denied the petition of the rights groups due to lack of evidence.
In turn, Esperon filed a counter-suit against them.
A Quezon City court then decided that Belardo be held for trial after she swore under oath in their petition that she is a member of the RMP, claiming it was a "registered non-stock and non-profit organization" when its registration had already been revoked in 2003 as per records from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Prosecutors eventually cleared 11 others, including Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay, of the perjury charges while Belardo posted an P18,000 bail.
But Esperon believes that the RMP, Gabriela and Karapatan are "front organizations" of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) which seek "to undermine President Duterte's counter-insurgency initiatives."
Gabriela, Karapatan and other rights groups earlier denounced Esperon's complaint as part of the Duterte administration's crackdown on his critics.