Southern Tagalog supporters of Satur storm AFP headquarters

By Ronron
March 21, 2007

At least 200 supporters of Bayan Muna Representative Satur Ocampo from Southern Tagalog stormed the Armed Forces headquarters in Quezon City on Wednesday morning to protest the arrest of their leader and what they call as the ongoing “urban and rural militarization” sanctioned by the government.

Coming from Calamba, Laguna, the group arrived at Gate 2 of Camp Aguinaldo along EDSA aboard 15 jeepneys at around 10:30 am. The participants come from Quezon, Rizal, Batangas, Cavite, and Laguna, said Oscar Lapida, Bayan Muna-Southern Tagalog spokesman.

“We are letting the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) realize that despite their continuing repression against us, we continue to protest against them,” Lapida said in Filipino.

Shouting in Filipino, the group called for the release of Ocampo who was arrested Friday last week over his multiple murder case at a Leyte court.

“This rally is also to call for the release of Ka Satur, Ka Bel (Crispin Beltran, Anakpawis Representative), and all political officers. We condemn the Red-beating of the AFP and the PNP (Philippine National Police),” Lapida said.

From Camp Aguinaldo, the group proceeded to the Manila Police District (MPD) headquarters where they will hold a vigil there until the 23rd, said Lapida. The protesters began marching at around 1 pm.

As a precautionary move, the camp closed Gate 2 and fielded at least 20 civil disturbance management personnel. A barbed wire fence was also placed in front of the protesters.

To distract the rally, a loud disco music was played from the gate, eating up the chants and speeches delivered by the protesters.

Ocampo is being charged for the alleged purging of communist rebels in the mid-1980’s in Leyte when he was still a member of the Communist Party of the Philippines./DMS