Evidence insufficient: Davao del Norte prosecutors’ office throws out raps vs ‘Bakwit 7’

From Politiko (May 14, 2021): Evidence insufficient: Davao del Norte prosecutors’ office throws out raps vs ‘Bakwit 7’

The Davao del Norte Office of the Provincial Prosecutor has dismissed the criminal complaint against seven teachers who were arrested last Feb. 15 at the University of San Carlos Retreat House (USCRH) in Cebu City for allegedly kidnapping 19 Lumad children believed to be trained as fighters for the communist terrorist group.

The Provincial Prosecutor’s Office stated in its resolution dated May 5 that the complaint filed by the Philippine National Police (PNP) was dismissed “for insufficiency of evidence, lack of probable cause, and being outside the territorial jurisdiction of this Office.”

“All told, it appears that there is insufficient evidence to support any of the alleged crimes of Kidnapping and Serious Illegal Detention, Human Trafficking, and Child Abuse committed by respondents Segundo Lagatos Melong, Benito Dalim Bay-ao, Moddie Langayed Mansimoy-at, Esmelito Paumba Oribawan, Chad Errol Booc, Roshelle Mae C. Porcadilla and Jomar Benag,” it said.

“Even when there are indications of acts committed by said respondents that would fit the elements of the above-mentioned crimes, these acts either happened at Davao City or at Cebu City, outside the territorial jurisdiction of this Office,” it added.

The seven respondents were arrested by the PNP at the USCRH where 19 Lumad children from Talaingod, Davao del Norte.

The parents sought the return of their children last February after learning that they were taken to Cebu City even though the parents agreed to allow their children to transfer to another school in Talaingod after a nearby Salugpungan school closed down.

The PNP conducted the rescue after learning from former Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) member Ariel Tabal Ansan disclosed being a former teacher of the Salugpungan School which he alleged is run by the CPP “as recruitment and indoctrination centers for minors.”

“At USCRH, Ansan again taught minors the ideologies and methodologies of the CPP. Among his co-teachers, he identified respondents Roshell Porcadilla, Segundo Melong, Benito Bay-ao, and Chad Erol Booc who, like him, instigated their students to go against the government in consonance with the teachings of the CPP-NPA. Ansan identified respondents Moddie Mansimoy-at and Jomar Benag as students who had been radicalized and influenced by the CPP-NPA’s doctrines that they were encouraging and recruiting the youith to join the CPP-NPA,” the prosecutor’s office noted.

https://politics.com.ph/evidence-insufficient-davao-del-norte-prosecutors-office-throws-out-raps-vs-bakwit-7/