Satur Ocampo, other members of rescue team still being held at police station

Photo from The Breakaway Media

Former Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Satur Ocampo claimed that he and other members of the rescue team may face charges for transporting minors without parental consent.

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Ocampo told INQUIRER.net in a phone interview on Thursday that the team rescued children from a Lumad school in Talaingod town in Davao del Norte, which was padlocked by the paramilitary group Alamara Wednesday afternoon.

He said that members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the military intervened with the rescue team at a checkpoint.

“So, nakipag-negotiate kami, tapos hanggang sumama na kami sa police headquarters, pina-interview yung mga bata, ini-dentify nila yung mga minors, 14 (We negotiated, then we were taken to the police headquarters, let them interview the children and they identified the minors, 14),” Ocampo said.

The police, he said, though claimed that they transported the pupils without the consent of their parents and that the rescue team failed to coordinate with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

“Pero walang sinasabing batas na nilabag, hindi yun kidnapping, hindi yun abduction, sabi lang (But there was no mention of a law being violated, it’s not kidnapping, not an abduction, but said) transporting minors without parental consent and coordination with government agencies, so it’s an administrative matter,” he said.

“So inaayos, magpahanggang ngayon, eh nalalaman namin, gusto kaming kasuhan. Pero walang basis in law, parang procedures lamang na hindi lang namin nasunod, so sabi ko “Anong penalty riyan?” hindi nila masabi,” he added.

(We’re still trying to settle the matter. What we know is they want to press charges against us. But there’s no basis in law, it’s like we just didn’t follow procedures so I asked them ‘what’s the penalty here?’ They couldn’t give an answer.)

As of this writing, Ocampo together with the members of the rescue team are currently held at the police station in Talaingod.

He said that they are currently awaiting the presence of their lawyer.

“Inaantay namin ang aming abogado, prineprepare pa naman yung charge  nung actual case, di ko muna maibibigay sa inyo,” he said.

(We’re waiting for our lawyers. Charges on the actual case are still being prepared, I cannot give it to you at the moment.)

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