By Che Palicte | Philippine News Agency
The Tagum City Regional Trial Court Branch 2 has convicted former party-list representative Satur Ocampo and incumbent Alliance of Concerned Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro of child abuse, a case involving 14 minors in Talaingod, Davao del Norte.
In a decision dated July 5 but only released on Monday, the court sentenced Ocampo, Castro, and 11 others to four to six years for violating Republic Act 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.
Also found guilty were Ma. Eugenia Victoria Nolasco, Jesus Madamo, Meriro Poquita, Maricel Andagkit, Marcial Rendon, Marianie Aga, Jenevive Paraba, Nerhaya Talledo, Ma. Concepcion Ibarra, Nerfa Awing, and Wingwing Daunsay.
The case stemmed from a November 2018 incident when the group was accused of holding 14 students at the Salugpungan Ta’tanu Igkanugon Community Learning Center Inc. (STTICLCI) where they supposedly held a solidarity mission.
“Likewise, the above-mentioned accused are ordered to pay, jointly and severally, each of the minor victims the amount of P10,000 as civil indemnity and P10,000 as moral damages, plus interest at the rate of 6 percent per annum reckoned from the finality of this Decision until full payment,” the ruling stated.
“Notably, the court opines that the accused had no valid justification nor authority to take the fourteen minor students out of Dulyan campus,” the decision added.
Meanwhile, Egar Ugal, Ryen Magpayo, Eller Ordeniza, and Jurie Jaime were acquitted after the prosecution failed to prove their guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
In an interview, Ocampo’s fellow former Bayan Muna party-list representative Carlos Zarate said they were surprised with the decision.
“We expected that everyone will be acquitted because this case was just made up by the military and instigated the witnesses on the November 28, 2018 rescue mission,” Zarate said.
Zarate said Castro, Ocampo, and the others were there in response to the reported harassment of indigenous peoples (IP) communities by the paramilitary.
In a joint statement, Castro and Ocampo said the decision wrongfully convicted them and “it was a clear miscarriage of justice.”
They will appeal the decision.
The Mindanao Indigenous People Council of Elders and Leaders and the Mindanao Indigenous People Youth Organization said the court decision was a victory for the rights of the IPs.
“This legal victory achieved today gives hope that justice can still prevail and IPs’ rights are worth fighting for. No matter how long it takes or how difficult it may seem, in the end, justice and truth will prevail,” a joint statement read.
In October 2019, the Department of Education (DepEd) – Davao Region shut down 55 STTICLCI branches, three months after suspending the school management’s license to operate on account of various violations and alleged links with the communist rebel movement.
Among the key findings of the fact-finding team were that STTICLCI students did not have learner’s reference numbers, a violation of the requirement of DepEd Order 26, series of 2015; that there was misrepresentation of enrollment data; and that data in documents submitted to the DepEd did not match the records in the learner’s information system.
Datu Lumunsad Sibogan, village chieftain of Sto. Niño in Talaingod, said then that they agreed with the decision and that the tribal elders have long known that STTICLCI did not follow the standards set by DepEd.