Bayan Muna, NUPL eye raps after ‘Oust Duterte plot’ accusations
Credit to Author: mfrialde| Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2019 02:42:47 +0000
MANILA, Philippines — Representatives of Bayan Muna and the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) on Tuesday said they are studying the possibility of filing charges against individuals behind the diagram which tagged them as being involved in an alleged plot to oust President Rodrigo Duterte.
“Napakaraming violations doon na pwedeng ma-ikaso doon sa mga gumawa ng plot na ito. It is an option of course on our part, collectively or individually, na magsampa ng karampatang legal cases against those who are responsible for this latest script na absurd, funny, hilarious, kung hindi siya may direct threat sa life and safety ng mga nakalista,” Bayan Muna chair and Makabayan senatorial bet Neri Colmenares said in a press conference in Quezon City.
Colmenares then cited the Chief Executive’s Sunday threat that he would publish the intelligence information given by a foreign country showing the extent of corruption in the media. The senatorial contender said this could be a violation of the Anti-Wiretapping Law, right to privacy, and the Data Protection Act, among others.
Colmenares also lamented that the President seems to be “intolerant of dissent.”
“Ang second na problem diyan diyos nya an intelligence report… and for a lawyer who knows na ang basis dapat ng mga kaso ay ebidensya, malaking disappoitemnt sya sa legal profession dahil in-abandon nya na ang basic tenets lalo na doon sa credibility ng ebidensya at witnesses,” Colmenares added.
While the “fake matrix” was “baseless,” NUPL secretary general Atty. Rey Cortez pointed out that it remains to be a “dangerous” allegation.
“Sa Wednesday magpa-file ng supplemental motion sa Supreme Court dun sa aming pending na petition na writ of amparo at habeas data pero ‘yung mga cases independent of the writ of amparo, ‘yun ‘yung kailangan pag-usapan,” Cortez added.
A major broadsheet on Monday published a diagram, titled “Association Matrix Between Bikoy and Ellen Tordesillas.” It showed the links among a certain “Bikoy” who has accused the Dutertes of having ties with a drug syndicate in a series of videos, news site Rappler, media nonprofit Vera Files and the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ).
The diagram also accused NUPL and Colmenares as being involved in the so-called ouster plot.
READ: Palace confirms ‘oust-Duterte’ plot
NUPL NCR chapter president Atty. Edwin dela Cruz and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate, who are in the same media briefing, also denied their involvement in the alleged ouster plot. Dela Cruz said he has not even watched Bikoy’s videos, while Zarate said this is a signal of a worse season of attacks against the administration’s critics.
Rappler and Tordesillas have also belied the matrix, while NUPL downplayed the matrix as “putrid garbage” and “not worth the paper is it written on.” The Armed Forces of the Philippines public affairs chief Col. Noel Detoyato said they have not monitored any specific threat to overthrow the President. /muf
READ: Crackdown on independent media groups, rights lawyers feared | No specific threat to oust Duterte — military