Lack of IDs keeps farmers jailed

KIDAPAWAN CITY—Some of the more than 70 protesters in detention following the bloody dispersal on April 1 of a barricade of farmers demanding food aid could not be released on bail for having no identification cards.

Orlando Dano, head of the Public Attorney’s Office here, said while the bail bond for the detained protesters had been paid, some of the detainees could not be released because they could not present IDs.

Judge Rebecca de Leon, of the municipal trial court here, had agreed to reduce the bail bond from P12,000 to P6,000 for each of the protesters, who were charged with assaulting policemen during the violent operation to clear a major highway occupied by the protesters to air their demand for food to cope with the devastating effects of El Niño.

Jerry Alborme, chair of the Kilusang Magbubukid sa Pilipinas in North Cotabato, said only half of the detainees, which included women and the elderly, had IDs. Some did not have birth certificates or membership cards from the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) and Social Security System.

Dano said up to P460,000 had been raised for the protesters’ bail bond. The money was collected from donors that Dano declined to identify.

But singer Aiza Seguerra, who attended the bail hearing on Wednesday in a gesture of support for the farmers, said she and other artists had contributed money for the bail bond.

Dano said the money given by donors was more than enough for the bail bond. The excess amount would be divided among the farmers so they could buy food for their families.

Dano said asking the farmers to present IDs and other documents of identities would be difficult given the short notice.

He said lawyers of the protesters appealed to Judge De Leon to accept the personal data sheet (PDS) filled out by detainees, in lieu of IDs.

Support for the farmers continued to pour in.

In Laguna province, several groups of photographers and artists sold their works to raise funds for a feeding mission for the farmers in Arakan Valley.

Instead of bringing sacks of rice, a team of seven volunteers is headed for Mindanao later this month to set up a community kitchen and serve hot meals to farmers, who are victims of drought.

The group aims to prepare 1,000 meals a day in a two-day mission. Williamor A. Magbanua, Inquirer Mindanao and Maricar Cinco, Inquirer Southern Luzon