Esperon to revive perjury charges against progressive groups

MANILA, Philippines — National Security Adviser (NSA) Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said Wednesday that he will pursue the filing of perjury charges against members of Karapatan and other progressive groups linked with a similar case he filed in 2019.

Esperon said he will file a motion for reconsideration against 11 individuals accused of acting in conspiracy and malice.

Esperon in July filed a perjury complaint against members of Karapatan, Gabriela, and the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP), who included him as a respondent in the petition for writ of Amparo filed before the Court of Appeals in May 2019.

The groups were seeking a protection order from the alleged harassment and red-tagging of Esperon and other generals. Their petition was later dismissed by the court.

But Esperon turned the tables and accused the members of the progressive groups of supposedly making untruthful statements.

RMP national coordinator Sister Elenita Belardo swore under oath in their petition that RMP was a “duly registered non-stock, non-profit corporation pursuant to the SEC.”

It was later found out that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had revoked the certificate of registration of RMP in 2003.

A Quezon City court in late 2019 decided that the nun be held for trial for her alleged false claims but she posted P18,000 bail. The 11 others were cleared by prosecutors.

But for Esperon, these 11 persons “acted in conspiracy with one another, and with malicious intent,” prompting him to revive the charges.

“The 11 others signed the aforementioned petition for writ of habeas data against the government,” he said.

The start of the trial for Belardo began last week.

Esperon and the military have accused these groups of serving as a legal front of the Communist Party of the Philippines.

KGA