Parents’ complaint spurred arrest of Ocampo’s group: PNP

November 29, 2018

The Philippine National Police (PNP) said the arrest of former Bayan Muna Partylist Rep. Satur Ocampo, ACT Partylist Rep. France Castro, Pia Macliing-Malayao of Katribu and others at a checkpoint in Davao del Norte was spurred by a complaint from the parents of the children.

In an interview Thursday, Chief Superintendent Benigno Durana Jr. told reporters: " There is a complaint and these minors without authority from their parents where taken from them. If you move a minor from one place to the other there should be written document to be issued by the Department of Social Welfare and Development."

'That's why the municipal social welfare and development officers have taken custody of children who have yet to be recovered by their parents," added the PNP spokesman.

Durana said there were 14 minors who were rescued from the 29-man group of Ocampo.

"They were actually moving in a convoy, five vans and they were intercepted through a checkpoint conducted by the local PNP and the Armed Forces of the Philippines units assigned in the area," said Durana.

Durana said the learning center in Talingod, Davao del Norte was closed by local education department officials. "This is being used by the front organizations of the Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front-New People's Army (CPP-NDF-NPA) in recruiting the lumads into their rebel movement," he said.

Durana said the learning center is also not accredited by the Department of Education. "That's why even the lumad leaders...actually requested this learning center being operated by the national solidarity mission they requested that this should be closed in their ancestral domain,"he said.

Durana said the front organizations of the CPP-NDF-NPA  "are trying to say there is a military offensive in the area that's why they are evacuating the teachers and students."

"Unfortunately they don't know that some of the parents have complained due to the disappearance of their children. That's why this checkpoint operation was conducted by local police of Talaingod together with the AFP unit," said Durana. DMS