|
By Katrice R. Jalbuena, Reporter
A petition for a writ of amparo has been filed
with the Supreme Court by the family of a missing farmer against
members of a human rights advocate group and a vice-mayor in Quezon
province on Friday.
The petitioners were identified as Alfreda Puyos
Orlina, 46 of Sitio Pantay, Barangay Villa Reyes, San Andres, Quezon,
and Epifanio Pedida, 51, also of Sitio Patay and Barangay Captain of
Barangay Villa Reyes.
The petition was filed against respondents
Charlie del Valle, Wins Pertierra, Kate Realco, Princess de Leon,
allegedly staff members of Karapatan-Southern Tagalog; and Josefa
Carmela Lavidez, incumbent vice-mayor of Gumaca, Quezon.
Petitioners sasked the court to rule that
respondents immediately produce Eliezer Orlina, Alfreda’s husband,
and relative Epifanio before the court to be released to his family.
They also asked respondents to desist from doing
any and all acts that would hurt, harm, harass or threaten the
victim, his family and witnesses.
They also asked an order be issued allowing the
family and the law enforcers and designates of the court to search
and inspect all the hangouts and safe houses of the Karapatan group
within the Southern Tagalog Area, and direct the respondents to
give, answer and/or explain the victim’s whereabouts.
The respondents were asked to jointly and
severally pay punitive and moral damages to the victim and his
family amounting to P500,000.
Petitioners alleged that in early September
2007, the victim and his petitioner-wife were told by three persons
who identified themselves as from Karapatan-Laguna that their son
Rodel Orlina was arrested by the military at Gumaca, Quezon.
The couple were advised to go to Gumaca, Quezon,
where Karapatan members would help them to locate Rodel.
On September 4, 2007, Elizer went to Gumaca, was
met by Karapatan members. Together, they went to see Rodel at the
military camp.
Rodel told them that he had voluntarily put
himself into the custody of 76th IB of the Philippine Army at
Barangay Villa Principe, Gumaca, Quezon.
After seeing Rodel and confirming that he was
voluntarily staying with the 76th IB in protective custody,
Epifanio went home ahead to San Andres, Quezon to tell Alfreda that
their son Rodel was safe and that her husband was staying with
respondent Vice-Mayor Carmela Lavides.
When she did not hear from her husband again,
Alfreda became worried. She learned that Elizer had been taken by
the three Karapatan members on September 5, 2007 from the custody of
the vice-mayor, with her consent.
A witness identified as Allan Barcelona, staff
personnel of the vice-mayor, gave a statement confirming what
happened to Elizer on September 5.
Barcelona futher relayed that Elizer has already
expressed to Vice-Mayor Lavidez that he wanted to go home, but
despite this, she allowed the Karapatan members to take Elizer into
their custody. They left the vice-mayor’s place in a tricycle.
A witness, Bonifacio Garcia of Barangay Liwayway,
Mauban, alleged that Elizer is being held against his will by
Karapatan.
On September 17, Garcia attests that she went to
Barangay Cotta, Lucena City to meet with the Karapatan group in the
area.
While she was there, she met Elizer who told her
that he was confused why the group wouldn’t allow him to go back
to his family.
Garcia became alarmed and feared that the same
would happen to her and left the area.
The petitioners believed that Elizer must still
be in the custody of the Karapatan group against his will, and
appealed to the court to take action.
|
