Bulatlat News
Cristina Palabay denounced former National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr.’s reopening of the perjury case saying this is “but one in a series of renewed attacks against the human rights defenders of Karapatan.”
By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL
Bulatlat.com
MANILA – Human rights group Karapatan denounced “renewed judicial harassment” against human rights defenders and attacks on the integrity and independence of the officers of the court.
This after former National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. filed a petition for certiorari regarding the perjury case he filed against leaders of Karapatan, Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP) and progressive women’s group Gabriela.
According to Karapatan, Esperon assailed the decision of Quezon City Municipal Trial Court Judge Aimee Marie Alcera for acquitting Cristina Palabay, Roneo Clamor, Dr. Edita Burgos, Gabriela Krista Dalena, Fr. Wilfredo Ruazol, and Jose Mari Callueng, Karapatan chairperson Elisa Tita Lubi, former RMP coordinator Sr. Elenita Belardo, and Gabriela leaders Gert Libang and Joan May Salvador on charges of perjury.
Read: Quezon City court acquits human rights defenders of perjury charges
Esperon charged Alcera of grave abuse of discretion, and asked the Regional Trial Court to review the records of the case.
On July 20, Karapatan national council members which include Palabay, Clamor, Burgos, Dalena, Ruazol, and Callueng filed their joint comment on Esperon’s petition. They asked the court to dismiss the petition and to uphold Alcera’s decision of acquitting the human rights defenders of perjury.
Palabay denounced Esperon’s reopening of the perjury case saying this is “but one in a series of renewed attacks against the human rights defenders of Karapatan.”
Palabay cited the filing of indirect contempt charges by lawyer Fedinand Topacio against her and eight others after criticizing the Muntinlupa court’s decision of denying bail to former Sen. Leila de Lima.
“The case is a direct attack on our freedom of expression,” said Palabay.
“On top of this, I and Karapatan legal counsel Maria Sol Taule have been viciously red-tagged and suffer other forms of threats and harassment, particularly from Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) which is owned by rabid Marcos Jr. and Duterte supporter Apollo Quiboloy,” Palabay said in a statement.
She also lamented that in Tacloban, Karapatan’s Eastern Visayas coordinator Philip Abinguna is in jail for fabricated charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives after their office was raided in February 2020.
Meanwhile, judges like Alcera, who demonstrate their integrity and independence in rendering decisions that are not to the liking of red-taggers and the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict are being maligned, Palabay added.
Palabay appealed for support for judges like Alcera as well as Mandaluyong RTC Branch 209 Presiding Judge Monique Quisumbing Ignacio and Manila RTC Branch 19 Presiding Judge Marlo Magdoza-Malagar, “who have shown courage, independence and integrity in issuing their judgments, especially at a time when the law is increasingly being weaponized to harass and persecute us.”
“As embattled human rights defenders, we call for solidarity from the broad human rights community here and abroad,” Palabay added.
Esperon’s petition is pending before QC RTC Branch 84 under Judge Luisito Galvez Cortez. (RTS, RVO) 
