Group scores ‘sham’ police raid in Laguna

Human rights group Karapatan decried as a “sham” the police raid on the office of the leftist Alyansa ng mga Manggagawa sa Engklabo (Amen) in Sta. Rosa City on Tuesday morning. Cristina Palabay, Karapatan secretary general, said the office “has not been used nor visited in more than a year” and Marites David, who is named in the search warrant, “has not been to the said place during the same period either.” Palabay said, “the use of questionable search warrants to justify the filing of trumped-up charges through planted evidence and perjured testimonies should stop.” Police tagged David as a communist rebel, labor organizer, member of Amen and secretary committee of Pamantik-Kilusang Mayo Uno, a leftist labor group. Police said David is now the subject of a manhunt. The police also claimed to have found a laptop, communist documents and streamers for rallies and election paraphernalia for different party-list groups and politicians. —DELFIN T. MALLARI JR.