Davao del Norte PNP denies tailing Satur Ocampo’s team after release

December 2, 2018

The police did not tail former Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo and his group following their release on Saturday night from detention after posting bail, an official said on Sunday.

"That's only allegation," Davao del Norte Police Director Ferlu Silvio said in a radio interview.

"We were only outside the Hall of Justice compound and talking to our people. We did not follow them," he said.

Silvio added they had a meeting after Ocampo and his 17 colleagues were released.

"I thanked my officers for their sacrifices since the arrest of Satur and his colleagues," he said.

Militant group Karapatan, in a statement on Saturday night, said that despite the order of Executive Judge Arlene Palabrica of Tagum City Regional Trial Court to release Ocampo, ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro and 16 others, the policemen surrounded the court house and when they left the Tagum City Hall of Justice, police vehicles still followed them.

Silvio explained that there was a delay in the release of the 18 individuals because of the oral argument in the court regarding their bail.

"The first case for appraisal by our lawyers was (Republic Act) 7610, that is bailable and they still have two pending cases, the kidnapping and failure to return (a) minor," he said.

But the judge merged all the cases when she granted the bail of P80,000 for each of the 18 individuals, he said.

"We did not stop (the release) or anything, we just waited for the decision of the judge," he said.

Silvio said for security purpose and to prevent other parties, they limited the entry of media to the facility.

"There might be other search party. We do not know, they can pretend to be media. As a matter of fact we give to them all security packages. There is an ambulance and other Civil Disturbance Management contingent around. We made sure Satur Ocampo is safe under our custody," he said.

Silvio said they would prepare a stronger case against the Ocampo's group.

The police and the military stopped on Wednesday night in a checkpoint in Talaingod, Davao del Norte the convoy of Ocampo's team for transporting minors, who did not have parental consent.

But Ocampo's group said that they were there to extend humanitarian assistance and psychosocial intervention to the teachers and students who were subjected to relentless harassment by the paramilitary and the soldiers from the Army's 56th Infantry Battalion. Ella Dionisio/DMS