5 arrested activists charged

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, Philippines — Five members of militant groups earlier arrested by the military, have been charged here for alleged illegal possession of firearms and explosives.

Charged with illegal possession of firearms and explosives were Marielle Domequil, 22, finance officer of the Rural Missionaries Philippines-Eastern Visayas; Frenchie Mae Cumpio, 21, of Eastern Vista, an online news portal; and Alexander Philip Abinguna, 24, secretary-general of Katungod Sinirangan Bisayas.

Mira Legion, 21, of Bayan Muna-Eastern Visayas and Marissa Cabaljao, 33, of People’s Surge were charged with illegal possession of firearms.

Bail for illegal possession of firearms is P120,000, while the charge for illegal possession of explosives is nonbailable.

Release demanded

All five respondents are detained at the Palo town police jail, where Bayan Muna officials led by former Representatives Neri Colmenares and Teddy Casiño, visited them on Monday and demanded their immediate release, saying evidence against them had been fabricated.

Maj. Gen. Pio Diñoso, commander of the Catbalogan City-based 8th Infantry Division, said the arrest was covered by a warrant issued by the court.

Rights groups launched a campaign on Wednesday to defend Mindanao against what Bayan Muna Rep. Eufemia Cullamat said was a “de facto martial law,” when “progressive organizations fighting for the truth and against (the government’s) antipoor policies are still being harassed.”

Two days before the Tacloban arrest, engineer Jennefer Aguhob of Karapatan-Western Mindanao was also arrested based on what the group said were false charges of murder.

Karapatan secretary-general Cristina Palabay said local courts in Caraga and Northern Mindanao had issued arrest warrants against 466 individuals being linked to leftist organizations, 70 of them civilians and 22 human rights workers.