Colmenares confirms warrant vs former Makabayan lawmakers

Former representative and Bayan Muna Chairman Neri Colmenares. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NINO JESUS ORBETA

Bayan Muna party-list Chairman Neri Colmenares has confirmed that a warrant of arrest has been issued against four former Makabayan bloc representatives over murder charges filed in 2004.

“Yes may warrant na lumabas, may presscon mamaya sila Satur mamayang 1 p.m. to condemn it,” Colmenares said in a phone interview with inquirer.net on Friday.

(Yes, a warrant came out. Satur and company will hold a presscon at 1 p.m. today.)

According to Colmenares, the warrant was for the arrest of former Representatives Satur Ocampo, Teddy Casiño (Bayan Muna), National Anti-Poverty Commission Secretary Liza Maza (Gabriela), and former Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary Rafael Mariano (Anakpawis) for the killing of Bayan Muna critics in Nueva Ecija.

“Murder, killing daw ng ilang miyembro ng isang barangay na mga nagkakampanya daw laban sa Bayan Muna.  Pumunta raw si Satur, si Teddy, si Liza, si Ka Paeng doon sa isang barangay sa Nueva Ecija para patayin ‘yong kalaban ng Bayan Muna,” he added.

(Alleged murder, killing of some members of a village campaigning against Bayan Muna. Satur, Teddy, Liza, Ka Paeng allegedly went to that village in Nueva Ecija to kill that enemy of Bayan Muna).

He also said that the warrant, which was released by Judge Evelyn Turla of Palayan, Nueva Ecija’s Regional Trial Court Branch 40, was based on the case filed during the administration of former president and now Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

He, however, declined to comment on whether the developments of the case were related to the recent comeback of Arroyo to power, after she was elected speaker of the House of Representatives on Monday.

“Nasimulan pa noong panahon ni Arroyo.  Pero ‘yang kaso, kay (former Justice secretary) Gonzalez pa ‘yan, eh, na-revive ngayon, medyo weird talaga ‘yang kasong ‘yan,” Colmenares said.

(The case was started during the time of Arroyo. But the case, handled by former justice secretary [Raul] Gonzales, was revived today. That case is a bit weird.)