From the pro-CPP/NDF/NPA online publication Bulatlat (Jun 25, 2021): Farmers’ group concerned over midnight arrests in Bohol (By Anne Marxze Umil)
FARDEC’s program coordinator for Bohol Carmilo Tabada. (Photo courtesy of FARDEC)
A farmer’s support group expressed concern over a series of arrests in Bohol just after midnight, June 25.
In a statement, Farmers Development Center officer-in-charge Marianne Corazon Tagalo related that at around 1:00 a.m. today, a composite team of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) arrested its program coordinator for Bohol, Carmilo Tabada, at his home in Trinidad, Bohol. His family confirmed his arrest, Tagalo said.
She added that Tabada was arrested over planted firearms and grenade explosives and is currently detained at the Trinidad Police Station.
At 3:00 a.m., United Church of Christ in the Philippines Pastor Nathaniel Vallente was also arrested in Mabini, Bohol for the same reasons.
Tagalo said that the authorities claim to be in possession of a search warrant against Vallente, but they were concerned that the raiding team were not wearing any body camera. She added that barangay officials also did not sign the manifestation of arms and ammunition retrieval.
Tagalo said Vallente is an active council member of the Nagkahiusang Mag-uuma sa San Jose (NAMASAJO), one of FARDEC’s peasant partners in Bohol.
“FARDEC denounces to the highest degree this series of attacks that harks back to Negros Island’s Synchronized Enhanced Managing of Police Operations (SEMPO) that massacred innocent farmers in 2018 and 2019. Tabada is a barangay councilor and leader of esteemed commitment that greatly helped (in the) implementation of our projects for peasant communities in Bohol,” Tagalo said.
Prior to Tabada’s arrest, he was also red-tagged last March. A group of motorcycle-riders staged a protest in front of his home in time for the New People’s Army’s founding anniversary. Tagalo also said that the repeated red-tagging and surveillance forced him to “scale down” his presence and prioritize his family’s safety.
Tabada has been been with FARDEC since 1998. He later became its coordinator in Bohol in 2002.
“Among the results of Tabada’s efforts and grassroots networks was the rice mill in Trinidad which significantly aided local farmer unions, among them NAMASAJO, in setting rice prices and breaking buyer monopolies before its forced closure in December 2020,” Tagalo said.
She added that this latest incident of attack against FARDEC staffs impedes their operations “toward truly eradicating poverty and hunger among farmers in Central Visayas.”
She lamented that just a year ago, its Sustainable Agriculture Program coordinator, Elena Tijamo, was abducted from her Bantayan island, Cebu home. Her whereabouts are still unknown.
“We call for the immediate release of both Tabada, Pastor Vallente, and other peasant leaders in Bohol who have been victimized by intense counter-insurgency pretense in recent weeks. This is yet another reflection of the government’s failure to curb the worsening human rights situation in the country,” Tagalo said.
https://www.bulatlat.com/2021/06/25/farmers-group-concerned-over-midnight-arrests-in-bohol/
A farmer’s support group expressed concern over a series of arrests in Bohol just after midnight, June 25.
In a statement, Farmers Development Center officer-in-charge Marianne Corazon Tagalo related that at around 1:00 a.m. today, a composite team of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) arrested its program coordinator for Bohol, Carmilo Tabada, at his home in Trinidad, Bohol. His family confirmed his arrest, Tagalo said.
She added that Tabada was arrested over planted firearms and grenade explosives and is currently detained at the Trinidad Police Station.
At 3:00 a.m., United Church of Christ in the Philippines Pastor Nathaniel Vallente was also arrested in Mabini, Bohol for the same reasons.
Tagalo said that the authorities claim to be in possession of a search warrant against Vallente, but they were concerned that the raiding team were not wearing any body camera. She added that barangay officials also did not sign the manifestation of arms and ammunition retrieval.
Tagalo said Vallente is an active council member of the Nagkahiusang Mag-uuma sa San Jose (NAMASAJO), one of FARDEC’s peasant partners in Bohol.
“FARDEC denounces to the highest degree this series of attacks that harks back to Negros Island’s Synchronized Enhanced Managing of Police Operations (SEMPO) that massacred innocent farmers in 2018 and 2019. Tabada is a barangay councilor and leader of esteemed commitment that greatly helped (in the) implementation of our projects for peasant communities in Bohol,” Tagalo said.
Prior to Tabada’s arrest, he was also red-tagged last March. A group of motorcycle-riders staged a protest in front of his home in time for the New People’s Army’s founding anniversary. Tagalo also said that the repeated red-tagging and surveillance forced him to “scale down” his presence and prioritize his family’s safety.
Tabada has been been with FARDEC since 1998. He later became its coordinator in Bohol in 2002.
“Among the results of Tabada’s efforts and grassroots networks was the rice mill in Trinidad which significantly aided local farmer unions, among them NAMASAJO, in setting rice prices and breaking buyer monopolies before its forced closure in December 2020,” Tagalo said.
She added that this latest incident of attack against FARDEC staffs impedes their operations “toward truly eradicating poverty and hunger among farmers in Central Visayas.”
She lamented that just a year ago, its Sustainable Agriculture Program coordinator, Elena Tijamo, was abducted from her Bantayan island, Cebu home. Her whereabouts are still unknown.
“We call for the immediate release of both Tabada, Pastor Vallente, and other peasant leaders in Bohol who have been victimized by intense counter-insurgency pretense in recent weeks. This is yet another reflection of the government’s failure to curb the worsening human rights situation in the country,” Tagalo said.
https://www.bulatlat.com/2021/06/25/farmers-group-concerned-over-midnight-arrests-in-bohol/
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