State forces arbitrarily arrest 5 farmers, pastor
State forces arbitrarily arrested five farmers and a pastor in the past two weeks, while a political detainee died in jail.
In Sorsogon, three copra farmers were abducted by the 31st IB in Donsol on June 6. The victims were identified as Etoy Magdamit, Jr. and Antonio Razo, Jr., residents ofBarangay San Francisco; and Salvador Moscoso, resident of Barangay Cabugao. They were surfaced and are currently detained at the 31st IB headquarters.
In Zamboanga del Norte, state forces arrested Benjie Gomez, pastor of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines in the town of Mutia last June 6. He was slapped with trumped up charges of murder and frustrated murder. Earlier in 2014, the court has junked similar charges against him.
In Negros Occidental, elements of the 62nd IB and 94th IB illegally arrested farmers Kenneth Nabong and Jayson John Gazon in Barangay Buenavista, Himamaylan City on June 9 at midnight. They were tortured and planted with evidences of firearms.
Meanwhile, political prisoner Jesus Alegre, 75, died in the New Bilibid Prison last June 13 after succumbing to diarrhea, diabetes and lung complications. He was detained for sixteen years based on trumped up murder charge filed against him by a landlord who grabbed his land in Sagay, Negros Occidental. His 74-year old wife Moreta and 47-year old son are still imprisoned on the same case. Last month, two other political prisoners (Joseph Canlas and Maximo Redota) also died in jail due to the negligence of the regime and its refusal to release sick and elderly detainees.