Activists Castro, Tamano call on DOJ to reconsider their case

Activists Jhed Tamano (second to the right) and Jonila Castro (right) campaigns against reclamation projects along Manila Bay. Photo from Defend Manila Bay Network.

MANILA, Philippines — Two environmental activists were dismayed over a resolution from the Department of Justice (DOJ) recommending they be charged with grave oral defamation for retracting their sworn statements regarding their alleged admission of being members of rebel groups in September 2023.

In a joint statement on Tuesday, activists Jonila Castro and Jhed Tamano expressed their disappointment that the DOJ sided with the “patchwork” of stories supposedly woven by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

“Pinatunayan ng desisyong ito na tama ang pagkwestyon namin sa kakayahan ng DOJ na maging patas sa imbestigasyon,” the statement read.

(This decision proved that our questioning of the DOJ’s capability to conduct fair investigations was correct.)

READ: DOJ OKs filing of raps vs 2 environmental activists

According to the activists, the DOJ did not acknowledge that they were kidnapped and coerced into surrendering and admitting that they were members of communist rebel groups.

“Prosecutor Arnold Magpantay ignored that we were abducted by the military, taken to safehouses, and subjected to psychological torture to force us to go along with the story concocted by the NTF-ELCAC agent,” the statement continued in Filipino.

“It is clear to us that the cases filed against us are harassment intended to undermine morale, intimidate those who want to fight for their rights, and silence dissent,” it added.

Despite this, the activists called on the DOJ to reconsider their case.

“These challenge the very justice system to stand with the victims and hold the real perpetrators accountable, whether they are agents of the state or not,” the statement continued.

Grave oral defamation

In September last year, Castro and Tamano supposedly surrendered to the military and admitted that they were part of communist groups.

“We voluntarily surrendered to the authorities and were not abducted or apprehended by anyone,” Castro’s sworn statement read as quoted in the DOJ resolution.

READ: Pro-environment groups air concerns over climate damage fund

“Because of the difficulty, stress at work, and longing for our families, Jaja [Jonila Castro] and I decided to surrender to the authorities,” Tamano’s sworn statement said.

But a few days later in a press conference, the two activists claimed that they were abducted by government forces and forced to make the statements, citing psychological torture and threats.

This is contrary to the claims of the military and NTF-ELCAC who were adamant that the two surrendered to them and expressed intent to reintegrate into society.

Afterwards, 70th Infantry Battalion Commander Lt. Col. Ronnel Dela Cruz sued the activists for perjury in October 2023 due to the statements they made during the press conference.

The DOJ dismissed the charge of perjury but recommended the two be charged with grave oral defamation for making statements that “strike deep into the character, honor, and reputation,” of the AFP.

The two activists, on the other hand, claimed that they waited for the press conference to expose the wrongdoings of the NTF-ELCAC and the military.

A Global Witness report published in September last year showed that the Philippines has remained the deadliest country in Asia for environmental defenders.

READ: Report: PH still deadliest for environmentalists in Asia