Defense chief “hurt” by SC ruling to grant Ocampo’s petition for bail; PNP won’t apologize to Ocampo

By Ronron
April 3, 2007

Defense Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane, Jr. admitted that he was “hurt” with the Supreme Court decision to grant the petition for bail of Bayan Muna party-list group Representative Satur Ocampo on Tuesday.

In a news conference at Camp Aguinaldo, Ebdane said he just hopes that Ocampo, who was charged of multiple murder for the death of at least 15 former communist rebels in the mid-1980’s in Leyte province, would not flee abroad.

“I hope he will stay in the country,” Ebdane said of Ocampo.

The Defense Secretary confessed that indeed there was a lapse in the procedure in the filing of case against Ocampo, which merited the SC’s decision to grant his plea for temporary liberty.

“It will be a lesson learned. We have to comply with the rules of court so this will not be repeated,” Ebdane said.

Ocampo had argued before the SC that he was denied due process when the case against him was being heard at the prosecutor’s level. Ocampo was arrested last March 16, a few days after Judge Ephrem Abando in Hilongos, Leyte issued the warrant against him.

The case against the solon stemmed from allegations he ordered the purge of NPA members in Leyte in the mid-1980’s, whose remains were discovered in August last year in Inopacan town.

Although hurting, Ebdane said they just have “to abide by the law” and “comply with the orders of the court now.”

On the part of the Philippine National Police (PNP), the organization’s spokesman, Chief Supt. Samuel Pagdilao, Jr., said they do not have to apologize to Ocampo for causing him so much inconvenience.

It can be recalled that the PNP hastily brought Ocampo to the airport from the Manila Police District (MPD) headquarters last March 19 so he could be flown to Leyte for presentation to Abando.

Ocampo also said yesterday that the SC decision on his petition showed a weakness on the case the PNP built against him.

“What we did was well within the judicial process and there is nothing to apologize for us sticking to what the rules of criminal procedures tell every law enforcement agent to do,” Pagdilao said.

“I don’t think the (PNP) should apologize,” he added.

Pagdilao explained that the planned and aborted transfer of Ocampo to Leyte was in accordance with the rules of court.

But he said the even if the PNP submits to the “orders of the judicial authorities,” he warned Ocampo that the case against him stands.

“It (SC ruling) doesn’t mean that the trial against Mr. Satur Ocampo will no longer proceed,” Pagdilao said./DMS