Philippines: Overturn Absurd Guilty Verdict Against Satur Ocampo, Rep France Castro And Others

July 16, 2024

“Yesterday’s judicial finding – that teachers and others who saved school children from severe threats by an armed paramilitary group in November 2018 were in fact abusing the children – is a grotesque expression of the weaponizing of the law under Duterte and Marcos Jr,” said international human rights group spokesperson Peter Murphy. “The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) urges immediate action to cancel this decision.”

“ICHRP denounces this court decision as part of the total suppression of over 250 Lumad indigenous community schools by the Duterte administration, a policy now imposed by President Marcos Jr.”, said Murphy. “This is a gross violation of the right to self-determination of indigenous peoples, the right to education for the children, and the freedom of association and assembly by those now found guilty.”

The charges were laid in 2018 when Castro, Ocampo and others mounted a National Humanitarian Mission to Talaingod, Davao del Norte, to bring food to the students at the Lumad School there which was under a food blockade and threats of violence from the notorious Alamara paramilitary group.

At the time, the Save Our Schools Network stated: “on the 28th of November, teachers and students fled Sitio Dulyan, Barangay Palma Gil in Talaingod, Davao del Norte, because of threats of being killed by the para-military group ALAMARA at the instigation of the 56th [Infantry Battalion] of the AFP.” Castro and Ocampo rightly condemned the bias of the court and the police in their failure to investigate this serious violence aimed at the teachers and students.

On November 28, 2018, the humanitarian mission in a five-vehicle convoy of more than 70 people, including 29 schoolchildren, was stopped at a checkpoint by Talaingod police officers and soldiers from the 56th IB at Barangay Santo Niño. Eighteen of the group were arrested, including four church clergy from the United Church of Christ of the Philippines and the United Methodist Church. Fourteen of the students were handed over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Those arrested were released three days later on bail of P80,000 (US$1,369) each.

In a 26-page decision issued on July 15, 2024, the Tagum City Regional Trial Court Branch 2 convicted Congressional Rep. France Castro, former Bayan Muna Congressional Rep Satur Ocampo and 11 others for violation of Section 10a of Republic Act 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.

They were all were sentenced to four to six years in prison and ordered to pay P10,000 (US$171) as civil indemnity and P10,000 as moral damages to each of the 14 minors involved.

Also found guilty are 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. These are eight other teachers and the administrator of Salugpungan Community Learning Center and the Community Technical College of Southeastern Mindanao, and two other teachers from the Alliance of Concerned Teachers. The accused church clerics, Edgar Ugal, Ryan Magpayo, Eller Ordeniza and Jurie Jaime, were acquitted.

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