‘Terrorist’ running for Baguio mayor

‘DOJ TERRORIST’ Jose Molintas was excluded by a court from a list of alleged communist rebels declared as terrorists. —KARLSTON LAPNITEN

BAGUIO CITY — A human rights lawyer, who was tagged as a terrorist by the Department of Justice (DOJ), is the Liberal Party (LP) candidate for Baguio City mayor.

Jose Molintas, 57, filed his certificate of candidacy last week after his name was removed by the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 19 in July from a list of 649 suspected members of the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army that was attached to a DOJ petition seeking to declare them terrorists.

Terror tags

He was one of seven Cordillerans on the list. Also on the list was UN special rapporteur for indigenous peoples’ rights, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, who was also cleared by the court.

An Ibaloy, Molintas is younger brother of former Benguet Gov. Raul Molintas, who died in February.

A former city councilor, he ran for mayor under the Nationalist People’s Coalition in 2016 but lost to Baguio Mayor Mauricio Domogan, who is ending his third term.

Molintas said he was ambivalent about the impact of being tagged as terrorist on his campaign.

‘DOJ terrorist’

He said government prosecutors “do not verify their facts” and the petition to declare those in the Left as terrorist was just “propaganda stunt.”

At a Senate hearing on federalism here in March, Molintas introduced himself as a “DOJ terrorist” when he presented inputs on behalf of the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG).

He said it was the administration’s “persecution” of critics and the opposition that prompted him to join LP and run for mayor again.

He reestablished the city chapter of LP last week in a caucus attended by human rights lawyer Jose Manuel Diokno, Ifugao Rep. Teodoro Baguilat Jr. and former FLAG president, lawyer Pablito Sanidad.

“We are fighting for democracy,” Molintas said.

He said one of his platforms was to offer a “creative, multi-pronged zero-waste” solution to Baguio’s garbage problem.

Funds spent on hauling trash to a landfill outside the city could be used as incentives for residents to “reuse and recycle trash.”

Baguio spent P472 million to haul trash from 2011 to 2017. —Karlston Lapniten