QC court junks former NSA Esperon Jr.'s perjury case against 10 rights activists

Jeffrey Hernaez, ABS-CBN News

The Quezon City Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 139 junked the perjury case filed by former National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. against 10 human rights activists on Monday. In a 45-page decision penned by Judge Aimee Marie Alcera, the court said "the failure of the prosecution to establish beyond reasonable doubt that all accused made a willful and deliberate assertion of a falsehood, all accused must perforce be acquitted". Those acquitted were Rural Missionaries of the Philippines National Coordinator Sr. Elenita Belardo, Karapatan Chairperson Elisa Lubi, Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay, Gabriela Secretary General Joan Mae Salvador, Roneo Clamor, Gabriela Krista Dalena, Edita Burgos, Jose Mari Callueng, Wilfredo Ruazol, and Gertrudes Libang. The complaint was filed by National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, Jr., last March 2020. He claimed that the rights activists lied under oath in the writ of Amparo petition that KARAPATAN, Gabriela, and RMP filed with the Supreme Court in May 2019 against him, former President Rodrigo Duterte, and several government agencies and officials. Esperon, who was then the vice-chairperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), alleged the activists lied when they claimed that RMP is a duly authorized registered non-stock, non-profit organization when RMP’s certificate of registration had been revoked by the Securities and Exchange Commission as early as Sept 29, 2003. <ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/04/20/activists-who-failed-to-get-protection-from-courts-now-facing-perjury-charges'>READ: Activists who failed to get protection from courts now facing perjury charges</a></li></ul>Respondents' lawyer Ephraim Cortez said they expected the acquittal. "Ang kaso na nakabatay sa kasinungalinhan, hindi ito mag-prosper sa court, ito ay ma-expose katulad ng nangyari ngayon. Noon pa man sinasabi na namin iyan noong nasa prosecutor’s office pa lang ang kaso, at na dismiss ang kaso laban sa aming kliyente sa KARAPATAN, nagulat kami nung binawi ng prosecutors office, ay nai-file muli sa korte ang mga kaso nila, at ito ngayon ang pagpapatunay na wala talang basehan ang mga kasong ito, walang katotohanan ang mga ginawang dahilan para i-file ang kaso na ito," said Cortez who is also a member of the National Union of Peoples Laywers or NUPL. According to Palabay, the acquittal is a win for all rights activists. "Ngayong araw na ito, pinatunayan po muli namin na wasto ang magtaguyod at magtanggol ng karapatan ng mamamayan, kahit kailan ay hindi po kami umatras, kami po at tuloy tuloy na lumalaban at patuloy po kaming maniningil, mananagot ang mga katulad ni NSA Esperon, NTF-ELCAC, at iba pang nagtutuloy ng pag-atake sa mamamayan at pagtaguyod sa karapatan ng mga mamamayan," said Palabay. "We reiterate that this case against the national officers of Karapatan, RMP, and Gabriela is malicious, and is aimed at disrupting our work --- in helping victims seek justice, in defending the rights of people from violations committed by the State, and in exposing the crimes of the State and its security forces. Former national security adviser Hermogenes Esperon essentially wanted to silence us and saying we have committed perjury is his un-intelligent way of doing so," Palabay also said in a separate statement. For Salvador, the court's decision affirmed the important role rights activists play in society. "Masayang masaya kami na pumanig ang korte doon sa pagtindig, na wala pong masama sa pagtindig para sa karapatan ng nga mamamayan, wala pong masama sa pagtindig at pagsasabi ng katotohanan, wala pong masamang lumaban sa panggigipit at paniniil ng pamahalaan," ayon naman kay Salvador. Gabriela Party-list Representative Arlene Brosas and former lawmaker Liza Maza also welcomed the acquittal. "Napakatapang, they are brave, they are courageous, ang ating 10 human rights defenders na humarap sa korte. Mensahe po natin sa kanila na ipagpatuloy ang karapatan at kagalingan ng ating mga mamamayan," said Brosas. "Dapat lang maibasura itong kaso laban dito sa mga human rights defenders, kasi alam namin na gawa gawa lang itong kaso na ito. Ang dapat nga kasuhan itong sina Esperon, dahil doon sa kanilang papel sa malalang human rights violations dito sa ating bansa," stressed Maza.House Deputy Minority leader and ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro expressed her relief on the acquittal of the 10 human rights defenders, "This decision serves as a reminder that the fight for human rights and justice must continue, and that those who stand up for these values should not be silenced or punished. We stand with the 10 HRDs and all those who work towards a more just and equal society." Esperon has yet to release a statement regarding the court decision.

He claimed that the rights activists lied under oath in the writ of Amparo petition that KARAPATAN, Gabriela, and RMP filed with the Supreme Court in May 2019 against him, former President Rodrigo Duterte, and several government agencies and officials. Esperon, who was then the vice-chairperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), alleged the activists lied when they claimed that RMP is a duly authorized registered non-stock, non-profit organization when RMP’s certificate of registration had been revoked by the Securities and Exchange Commission as early as Sept 29, 2003. <ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/04/20/activists-who-failed-to-get-protection-from-courts-now-facing-perjury-charges'>READ: Activists who failed to get protection from courts now facing perjury charges</a></li></ul>Respondents' lawyer Ephraim Cortez said they expected the acquittal. "Ang kaso na nakabatay sa kasinungalinhan, hindi ito mag-prosper sa court, ito ay ma-expose katulad ng nangyari ngayon. Noon pa man sinasabi na namin iyan noong nasa prosecutor’s office pa lang ang kaso, at na dismiss ang kaso laban sa aming kliyente sa KARAPATAN, nagulat kami nung binawi ng prosecutors office, ay nai-file muli sa korte ang mga kaso nila, at ito ngayon ang pagpapatunay na wala talang basehan ang mga kasong ito, walang katotohanan ang mga ginawang dahilan para i-file ang kaso na ito," said Cortez who is also a member of the National Union of Peoples Laywers or NUPL. According to Palabay, the acquittal is a win for all rights activists. "Ngayong araw na ito, pinatunayan po muli namin na wasto ang magtaguyod at magtanggol ng karapatan ng mamamayan, kahit kailan ay hindi po kami umatras, kami po at tuloy tuloy na lumalaban at patuloy po kaming maniningil, mananagot ang mga katulad ni NSA Esperon, NTF-ELCAC, at iba pang nagtutuloy ng pag-atake sa mamamayan at pagtaguyod sa karapatan ng mga mamamayan," said Palabay. "We reiterate that this case against the national officers of Karapatan, RMP, and Gabriela is malicious, and is aimed at disrupting our work --- in helping victims seek justice, in defending the rights of people from violations committed by the State, and in exposing the crimes of the State and its security forces. Former national security adviser Hermogenes Esperon essentially wanted to silence us and saying we have committed perjury is his un-intelligent way of doing so," Palabay also said in a separate statement. For Salvador, the court's decision affirmed the important role rights activists play in society. "Masayang masaya kami na pumanig ang korte doon sa pagtindig, na wala pong masama sa pagtindig para sa karapatan ng nga mamamayan, wala pong masama sa pagtindig at pagsasabi ng katotohanan, wala pong masamang lumaban sa panggigipit at paniniil ng pamahalaan," ayon naman kay Salvador. Gabriela Party-list Representative Arlene Brosas and former lawmaker Liza Maza also welcomed the acquittal. "Napakatapang, they are brave, they are courageous, ang ating 10 human rights defenders na humarap sa korte. Mensahe po natin sa kanila na ipagpatuloy ang karapatan at kagalingan ng ating mga mamamayan," said Brosas. "Dapat lang maibasura itong kaso laban dito sa mga human rights defenders, kasi alam namin na gawa gawa lang itong kaso na ito. Ang dapat nga kasuhan itong sina Esperon, dahil doon sa kanilang papel sa malalang human rights violations dito sa ating bansa," stressed Maza.House Deputy Minority leader and ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro expressed her relief on the acquittal of the 10 human rights defenders, "This decision serves as a reminder that the fight for human rights and justice must continue, and that those who stand up for these values should not be silenced or punished. We stand with the 10 HRDs and all those who work towards a more just and equal society." Esperon has yet to release a statement regarding the court decision.

Those acquitted were Rural Missionaries of the Philippines National Coordinator Sr. Elenita Belardo, Karapatan Chairperson Elisa Lubi, Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay, Gabriela Secretary General Joan Mae Salvador, Roneo Clamor, Gabriela Krista Dalena, Edita Burgos, Jose Mari Callueng, Wilfredo Ruazol, and Gertrudes Libang. The complaint was filed by National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, Jr., last March 2020.

The Quezon City Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 139 junked the perjury case filed by former National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. against 10 human rights activists on Monday. In a 45-page decision penned by Judge Aimee Marie Alcera, the court said "the failure of the prosecution to establish beyond reasonable doubt that all accused made a willful and deliberate assertion of a falsehood, all accused must perforce be acquitted".

The Quezon City Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 139 junked the perjury case filed by former National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. against ten human rights activists, Monday. 

QC court junks former NSA Esperon Jr.'s perjury case against 10 rights activists | ABS-CBN News

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QC court junks former NSA Esperon Jr.'s perjury case against 10 rights activists

QC court junks former NSA Esperon Jr.'s perjury case against 10 rights activists