DOJ asked to junk terrorism financing rap vs. store owner, slain activists' sister

Human rights groups on Wednesday trooped to the Department of Justice (DOJ) to call for the dismissal of the terrorism financing complaint against a sari-sari store owner from Mountain Province and the sister of an activist who was slain during the so-called Bloody Sunday raids in March 2021.

Both Marcylyn Pilala, the store owner, and Alaiza Lemita, sister of the late activist Chai Evangelista, filed their counter affidavits on the complaint.

"Para po ibasura nila ang gawa-gawa nilang kaso laban sa akin at sa aking mga kasama dahil wala naman pong katotohanan 'yun,” Pilala said.

(We did this so they would dismiss the fabricated complaint against me and my companions because those are not true.)

When sought for comment, OIC Prosecutor General Richard Fadullon said complaints should undergo the ''right process.''

“Gustuhin man natin, hindi natin puwedeng ibasura ang kahit na anong kaso batay lamang sa kahilingan ng kahit anong grupo," Fadullon said.

(Even if we wanted to, we can’t just dismiss a case based on the wishes of any group.) 

"Kailangan po ito dumaan sa tamang proseso at ang proseso sa ngayon ay dumadaan sa preliminary investigation ng kaso,” he added.

(This needs to undergo the right process, and the process right now is for it to undergo preliminary investigation.)

Pilala said she was accused of selling grocery goods to members of the New People's Army (NPA), which she denied.

"Hindi kami nagbibigay (We did not give anything)," Pilala said.

In her counter affidavit, Pilala stressed that she could not have sold any provisions to the NPA as she only started tending the sari-sari store in October 2021.

She also denied that she received an amount of P100,000, which she supposedly used to buy provisions.

"My bank statement… reveals that I had not received, deposited, or even maintained such amount in my bank account," she said.

Pilala also said that it would have been impossible to make purchases in bulk or meet the alleged NPA members as the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020.

"A strict lockdown was in fact imposed and declared. It would have been physically impossible for me to have made purchases in bulk, made withdrawals, and even met these alleged persons," she said.

Alaiza Lemita, sister of activist Chai Evangelista who was killed in the Bloody Sunday raid, also filed her counter affidavit on the terrorism financing complaint against her @gmanews pic.twitter.com/5vS7H8KTJY

— Joahna Lei Casilao (@joahnacasilao) October 16, 2024

Lemita, meanwhile, was accused of providing adobo, rice, and cash to NPA rebels in March 2017.

She stressed that she was never involved in the NPA or their activities.

"I urge this Honorable Office to uphold its duty to 'see that justice is done' by dismissing the complaint. It must not become another instance where anti-terrorism laws are used to stifle those who dare to speak out and defend the rights of their communities," Lemita said in her counter affidavit.

"Let this be the final chapter in the long history of false accusations, harassment, and violence inflicted upon me and my family," she added.

Human rights group KATRIBU, for its part, said the complaints against the two relied on the claims of alleged rebel returnees, who it believes are being pressured to make false testimonies.

Chai and her spouse, Ariel Evangelista, were among the activists killed in March 2021 when police authorities conducted simultaneous police operations in Calabarzon.

In March 2023, the DOJ dismissed the murder complaint against 17 police officers allegedly involved in their killing.  — VDV/VBL, GMA Integrated News