Erring cops, gov't?

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor GUILLERMO TEJIDA III Desk Editor NANETTE L. GUADALQUIVER Busines Editor NIDA A. BUENAFE Sports Editor RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

On April 28, 2006, five men were arrested while traveling along Ligaya Drive in Barangay Sungay, Tagaytay City . Enrico Ybañez, Michael Mesayes, Aristedes Sarmiento, Axel Alejandro and Ariel Custudio; who became known as the ‘Tagaytay 5'; claim that more than 30 men in different uniforms and in plainclothes abducted them. Furthermore, the ‘Tagaytay 5' claimed that they were blindfolded, hogtied, interrogated without aid of a counsel, tortured, and repeatedly threatened with electrocution and summary execution by policemen. They were charged with rebellion on May 6, 2006.

The five men, who insist that they were abducted and arbitrarily jailed, remain in prison up to now, despite House Resolution No. 1244, which urged the President to order the dropping of “malicious charges” against the incarcerated men, a Commission of Human Rights investigation that started on June 2006, and a hunger strike by the prisoners.

The CHR, headed by newly appointed Chairperson Leila de Lima, finally put closure to the 2-year-old complaint lodged by the ‘Tagaytay 5' by handing down a resolution last Friday. In a two-page ruling, the CHR recommended the filing of criminal and administrative charges in the Office of the Ombudsman against the Cavite Police and the Naval Intelligence and Security Force for human rights violations, including abduction, unlawful arrest and arbitrary detention.

Now that the CHR has recommended the filing of charges against these misguided elements of the law, we hope that the government will not only act swiftly and decisively to ensure that this kind of despicable behavior is punished and does not happen again, but also become more aware and proactive in resolving similar cases, instead of constantly denying something that its policy of indifference towards such inhuman practices by its own agents has allowed to happen to its people, especially those make the mistake of refusing to toe the government line.*