CABANATUAN CITY – A group of farmers from Bataan called on the Department of Justice on Tuesday to consider their condition as alleged “victims” in syndicated estafa of the women who reportedly met earlier with Sec. Jesus Crispin Remulla despite pending warrants of arrest.
The farmers belonging to Kababaihang Bisig ng Kaunlaran ng Sumalo from Barangay Sumalo, Hermosa, Bataan told the DOJ that the women who staged a rally in front of the agency head office in Manila on March 8 were actually subject of arrest warrants issued by the Regional Trial Court Branch 5 in Dinalupihan, Bataan on Feb. 23.
They came to Cabanatuan City in connection with a cyber libel case in a court in the city where some of them are prosecution witnesses.
“Lumapit po sila sa DOJ para sa karapatan nila. Ngayon naman po nanawagan po kami sa DOJ para sa karapatan namin. Para marinig po naman ng DOJ kung ano po ang dahilan namin bakit po namin sila kinasuhan,” Irene Suarez, one of the complainants in Case No. DH-6938-23 (Syndicated Estafa Under Art. 315, Par 2 (A) of the Revised Penal Code in Relation to Sec. 1 of Presidential Decree 1689).
The accused include Rolando Martinez, Magdalena Sanchez, Fe Andulan, Lorna Favorito, Elizabeth Mesina, Mila Dejan, Elvira Gamit, and Josefina Pasquil.
Suarez said she and her companions wondered how the accused, reportedly supported by a group called “iDEFEND,” were able to stage a rally and subsequently met with the justice secretary without first being arrested as ordered by the court.
She noted that syndicated estafa is a non-bailable offense.
Ma. Luisa Gonsalez, another farmer, expressed hope the DOJ will not derail the due process: “Para mabigyan po ng tamang batas po yung ginawa po ng mga nanghingi po ng butaw sa amin.” She said her parents paid contributions to the accused on promise that they would be given three hectares of agricultural land from the 200-hectare Litton estate in their village.
“Sa bawat paghingi po nila ng butaw sa amin ay pinaghirapan po namin ‘yun,” Gonsalez added.
Based on court information, the accused allegedly collected a total of P148,000 in contribution from the complainants.
After the March 8 meeting, Remulla reportedly told the protesters he would look into their case.
