- Satur Ocampo, Rep. Castro sentenced 4-8 years in Talaingod 18 case
A TAGUM City court sentenced former Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo and ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro to four to eight years imprisonment after finding them guilty of child abuse in the Talaingod case.
Twelve others were also convicted, while four pastors were acquitted.
The case stemmed from a November 2018 incident where Ocampo, Castro, and others attempted to supposedly rescue students from Salugpungan School in Talaingod, Davao del Norte.
The group alleged the students were victims of forced evacuation and harassment by paramilitary and military forces.
Initially charged with kidnapping and human trafficking, the group was previously acquitted of trafficking charges.
Accordingly, Ocampo, ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro, and 16 other individuals behind the supposed National Solidarity and Fact-Finding mission on Nov. 27.
Collectively called the Talaingod 18, Ocampo and his companions were arrested in Barangay Palma Gil, Talaingod for transporting 14 minors to “rescue” them from being harassed by the paramilitary group Alamara.
They, however, were blocked by police and the 56th Infantry Battalion, arrested and detained at the municipal police station for alleged kidnapping, human trafficking, and child abuse.
Appeal
Lawyer Carlos Zarate, in an interview with the media on Monday, disputed the child abuse conviction and maintained the group’s actions were humanitarian in nature.
“Instead of going there for a solidarity mission during those days, it turned into a rescue mission because they were harassed by paramilitary forces,” Zarate said. “So, the initial case filed against them was kidnapping and trafficking, but it was dismissed by the provincial prosecutors due to lack of basis.”
Zarate said their legal team will thoroughly analyze the court’s full decision before proceeding with the appeal.
“The remaining case is this so-called ‘other forms of child abuse’ for endangering the lives of minors. Since the decision was very long and only the dispositive portion was read in court, our lawyers need to study the next steps, although the lawyers have already stated that they will appeal the case and study the next steps for the accused,” he further said.
“So, we will avail all remedies available to the accused because we believe they are innocent,” he added.
“Satur Ocampo and France Castro were among those charged, but only the four pastors were acquitted. That’s why we were surprised that if they were together and in the same situation, why were the pastors acquitted? So, as I said, we will study this, and our belief is clear that we will appeal this case.”
“The filing of the case in 2018 was part of the harassment by the administration at that time, and it continues until now because the closed Lumad schools have not yet reopened. So, this is an additional blow, but the accused will face this because this is not the first time, like Satur Ocampo, who has had many cases filed against him but were also dismissed.”
“Ocampo, Castro, the school director, and teachers were included in the case, and only the four pastors were acquitted.”
The provincial prosecutor on Nov. 29 found probable cause in the child abuse complaint, recommended bail for 80,000 each, and gave them 10 days to file their counter-affidavits.
The group was granted temporary liberty Saturday night after posting bail of 80,000 each or a total of 1.44 million pesos.
The local government unit and tribal leaders demanded the closure of Salugpongan Ta Tanu Igkanugon Community Learning Center (STTICLC) in Barangay Palma Gil, “for its questionable motive” but that the progressive groups exploited the situation to “demonize the government and raise funds for their benefit.”
Authorities and tribal leaders decried how the Salugpongan, a boarding school that housed Lumad students coming from distant areas of North Cotabato, Bukidnon, and Zamboanga peninsula, was used for their anti-government propaganda and training ground for their armed struggle.
According to the report, the groups that conducted a fact-finding mission, supposedly to investigate allegations of harassment by the Alamara, failed to coordinate with the LGUs, national government agencies, and Lumad leaders for their own safety.
