Court reduces bail for Kidapawan farmers

By: Tetch Torres-Tupas - 9 years ago

The Municipal Trial Court in Kidapawan City has reduced the bail for 79 persons, mostly farmers, from North Cotabato arrested during a rally in the same city last April 1.

Judge Rebecca De Leon on Wednesday reduced the bail from P12,000 to P6,000 after government prosecutors opposed the motion to reduce the bail to P2,000.

The 79 individuals are facing criminal charges including direct assault and frustrated murder. They participated in a mass action calling for government’s assistance after their crops withered due to drought.

The mass action turned into a violent dispersal that led to the death of two farmers and injured several others.

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan Bayan Secretary General Renato Reyes, Jr. slammed the Department of Justice (DOJ) after local prosecutors opposed the move last Monday to lower the bail for the detained farmers from P12,000 to just P2,000 each. The trial court allowed the lowering of bail to P6,000 each.

“The farmers came to Kidapawan to ask for rice; they don’t have money to buy food, how much more to post bail? Each day they spend in detention is an injustice,” Reyes said.

Some of those detained by the police include three pregnant women—Arlene Candiban, 25 (six months pregnant); Eliza Candiban, 22 (five months pregnant); and Rolinda Paonil, 34 (two months pregnant).

The elderly detained men and women are the following:

1. Dionisio Alagos, 60;

2. Gerardo Pequero, 66;

3. Crisanto Carlum, 72;

4. Jovita Debalid, 68;

5. Lolita Porras, 65;

6. Valentina Berden, 78;

Others detained by the police with gunshot wounds are the following:

1. Alfie Awi, 33, with gunshot wound on the left leg, currently at the Madonna General Hospital;

2. Victor Lumundang Jr., 18, with gunshot wounds on the neck and shoulders, previously confined at the Midway Hospital and currently detained at the Kidapawan Gym;

3. Darwin Magyao, 18, with gunshot wounds on the right and left legs, currently confined at the Madonna General Hospital;

4. Arnel Takyawan, 45, with gunshot wound on right foot, previously confined at the Midway Hospital and currently detained at the Kidapawan Gym;

5. Rodolfo Taño, 60, with gunshot wound on his thigh, previously confined at the Midway Hospital and currently detained at the Amas Provincial Jail;

6. Mark Anthony Delgado, 33, gunshot wound on foot, currently confined at the Midway Hospital;

7. Mike Empit, gunshot wound on the right foot, previously confined at the Cotabato Provincial Hospital and currently detained at the Kidapawan Gym. RAM