(UPDATED as of 6:26 p.m.) Authorities nabbed Sasah Sta. Rosa, chairperson of Anakbayan Naga City and spokesperson of the regional formation Jovenes Anakbayan, and Pastor Dan Balucio, the secretary-general and spokesperson of BAYAN chapter in Bicol, earlier this morning, May 2.
Sta. Rosa was arrested at around 3:00 a.m. in her house in Cararayan, Naga City in Camarines Sur, while Balucio was arrested in his home in Sto. Domingo town in Albay half an hour later, according to a Facebook post by Karapatan Bikol.
The two were arrested by virtue of search warrants issued by Legazpi City Judge Edgar Armes last May 1. The two activists face charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives, which are non-bailable offenses.
At least 30 police and military elements—all of whom armed—took part in raiding Sta. Rosa’s home. Meanwhile, Balucio’s house was raided by officers who had identified themselves as members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) from Camp Simeon Ola, the headquarters of Police Regional Office 5.
Authorities spent about an hour scouring Sta. Rosa’s room, without presenting any search warrant. It was only after barangay officials came, Karapatan said, that the police served the search warrant, and searched Sta. Rosa’s room anew where they supposedly recovered a cal. 380 pistol, an Mk 2 hand grenade, and “various subversive documents.” These “recovered evidence” are believed to have been planted, Anakbayan Naga City said in a statement.
Lawyers from Karapatan Bikol are now preparing to file a motion to quash the search warrant. Initial investigation from the rights group found that the search warrant against Sta. Rosa may have been improperly implemented. The address on the search warrant also did not match the address of the house Sta. Rosa was staying in when she was arrested, Karapatan added.
Balucio’s arrest was similar. Almond Del Rosario of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP), Balucio’s wife, and two children were asked to lay on the floor while authorities raided Shannan Christian Academy, Karapatan reported. Balucio lives in and serves as the administrator of the said school.
Raiding authorities initially forced all of the building’s occupants, including Balucio, to go outside, according to an initial fact-finding mission by Karapatan. After barangay officials arrived, the police formally served the search warrant and went through Balucio’s house again, this time recovering guns and explosives, which the NCCP believes were planted.
Sta. Rosa is currently detained at the Naga City Police Office Station 2, while Balucio is currently detained at Sto. Domingo Municipal Police Station. Formal charges have yet to be filed against them.
The irregularities spotted in the raid of Sta. Rosa and Balucio are not new. During the Bloody Sunday raids, authorities also searched the victims’ houses twice—the first, presumably to plant evidence, a paralegal noted.
“[Witnesses] also pointed out that the police and military operatives had time and opportunity during their earlier intrusion into the homes of the two to plant these so-called evidence before the local barangay officials arrived and the so-called searches were conducted,” read part of Karapatan’s initial report.
“Ang sunod sunod na pasistang atake ng estado sa mga lider aktibista ay manipestasyon lamang kung gaano sila kadesperado na patahimikin ang mga kritiko ng rehimen at maghasik ng takot sa mamamayang Bikolano,” Jovenes Anakbayan said in a statement. ●
