Military files complaint vs. activists who said they were abducted by soldiers

The Department of Defense said the military has filed complaints against two environmentalists who said that they had been abducted by government soldiers.

“We have already filed charges against these two and I was informed that subpoenas had already been issued against them for preliminary investigation,” Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum on Wednesday.

The NTF-ELCAC earlier claimed that Jhed Tamano and Jonila Castro surrendered to the Philippine Army’s 70th Infantry Battalion (70IB) in Doña Remedios Trinidad, Bulacan in September.

It presented the two at a press conference, ostensibly to debunk reports of their abduction. However, the activists said they had indeed been abducted by the military.

The National Security Council said that the NTF-ELCAC had been "betrayed" and "hoodwinked" by the women into thinking they would confirm their surrender. But Tamano and Castro said that they had signed the affidavit to that effect while they were in custody of the military, which had earlier threatened them.

Castro said that they had been walking down a street on the night of September 2 when a vehicle stopped in front of them and they were forced into it by the occupants, who introduced themselves as being military.

Teodoro initially said perjury and slander complaints were filed against Tamano and Castro at the Department of Justice two weeks ago. However, when sought for confirmation later, he said it may be slander or grave oral defamation.

“Ito ay criminal offenses kaya finile-an namin ng criminal offense. Dahil gusto namin turuan ng leksyon na hindi pwedeng biru-biruin ito at drama-dramahin,” Teodoro said.

(These are criminal offenses so we filed criminal offense complaints. Because we want to teach them a lesson that you can't joke or make a drama of this.)

Lawyer Dino De Leon, Castro and Tamano’s legal counsel, meanwhile said the complaint was only for perjury.

In a message to GMA Integrated News, Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Richard Fadullon said the preliminary investigation will be held next week.

Teodoro said he is convinced that the two were lying.

“Now it’s up to the prosecutors already. They will be given due process. Because I will not allow serious processes to be used as a theater, you know, to, to, to shame the AFP or anybody,” he said.

According to the Defense chief, there were many witnesses, including Tamano's step-father.

“Kung galing lang sa salita ng sundalo ang statements, paimbestigahan ko ng katodo-todo. Pero ang mga statement galing sa testigo, hindi lang sundalo, pati ang amahin ng isang student. Si Jhed. Ang amahin niya gumawa rin ng affidavit,” Teodoro said.

(If the statements were only from soldiers, I would have this investigated thoroughly. But the statements were from a witness, not only a soldier, including the father of one of the students, Jhed. Her father executed an affidavit.)

“Napakaraming testigo. Pati ‘yung PAO lawyers. So hindi lang salita ng sundalo ito, maraming testigo,” he added.

(There are many witnesses. Even the Public Attorney's Office lawyers. So it wasn’t only soldier. There are many witnesses.)

Despite this, he said he could not say whether their case is air-tight, reiterating that the complaint is already with prosecutors.

For their part, Tamano and Castro filed a petition for a writ of amparo and protection orders against several government officials before the Supreme Court in September.

GMA News Online has reached out to Tamano and Castro’s lawyers for comment. — BM/KBK, GMA Integrated News