Communist leaders Benito and Wilma Tiamzon, 24 March 2014. FILE PHOTO BY KRISKEN JONES
Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) leaders Benito and Wilma Tiamzon and five other co-accused refused to enter a plea on what they claimed were “trumped-up” charges filed against them based on information from 1988.
As a result, the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 81 automatically entered a not guilty plea on their behalf.
Defense lawyers said the string of charges filed by the military and police during the arraignment surprised them because their clients “were not informed of the specifics of the cases” contained in seven folders.
They said their clients have the right to be informed of the charges they will face for them to have time “to prepare for the arraignment” and worse, “they do not even know the basis of the cases as well as the complainants involved.”
One folder showed that the seven were being charged with the 1988 abduction of Narcotics Command agents and soldiers in Mauban, Quezon.
During the arraignment, the suspects asked the court to let them remain in detention at Camp Crame.
The other suspects were Rex G. Villaflor, Nona C Castillo, Joel E. Enano, Jeosi M. Nepa, and Arlene J Panea.
The rebels were arrested in Cebu last month.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/84360/tiamzons-5-others-refuse-to-enter-plea-on-trumped-up-charges
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