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The office of the<br />
Rosario Municipal<br />
Station Office<br />
(RMPO) has<br />
likewise declined to<br />
give any assistance<br />
claiming that they<br />
no longer have<br />
jurisdiction inside<br />
the compound.<br />
“<br />
”<br />
130<br />
the makeshift tents. They threw their personal belongings, threw<br />
food stocks on the streets and broke drinking water bottles. Before<br />
they left, they threatened to kill the workers if they refused to<br />
abandon their strike.<br />
Seven hours later, another 20 men wearing balaclavas,<br />
camouflage pants and armed with M-16 assault rifles arrived<br />
in three separate vehicles. The vehicles had their license plate<br />
numbers covered. They started rounding up the workers one by<br />
one at the corners of their vehicles. The attackers ordered them<br />
to lie down face to the ground with M-16 rifles pointed at their<br />
heads. Arevalo was kicked on the back and her hair was repeatedly<br />
pulled by one of the attackers. Ravelo was also injured during<br />
the incident. The attackers completely destroyed the workers’<br />
makeshift tents and took everything into their vehicles. The<br />
attackers were allegedly hired thugs.<br />
It is suspected that the second attack could have been done by<br />
the elements of Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) police,<br />
by military and policemen hired by their company. The compound<br />
where the incident took place is supposed to be highly secured<br />
and only those authorized persons are supposed to be admitted,<br />
and allowed to carry high-powered firearms inside.<br />
This is because when the workers sought the assistance of<br />
PEZA police, they were allegedly told that the police could neither<br />
assist them nor conduct investigation because the following<br />
day, June 11, was a public holiday. The office of the Rosario<br />
Municipal Station Office (RMPO) has likewise declined to give any<br />
assistance claiming that they no longer have jurisdiction inside<br />
the compound. But strangely in the past, they have in fact been<br />
involved in carrying out the violent dispersal of workers inside<br />
the CEPZ.<br />
The RmPO’s Deputy Chief of Police, Senior Inspector Jonathan<br />
genetiano, also defended their refusal to intervene arguing that<br />
the vicinity of PEZA is no longer under their jurisdiction. But<br />
when the workers requested to have their complaints, at least,<br />
registered in the police blotter, investigators Senior Police Officer-3<br />
Philip Gomez and Police Officer-1 Eric Pureza refused to do so.<br />
Story 70: Police vehicle used in forcibly abducting<br />
a man<br />
Victim: Arnold Aliman (a.k.a. Dodong), a businessman<br />
Alleged perpetrators: Six men believed to have links with the<br />
police<br />
Date of incident: 27 May 2007 at 5:30pm<br />
Place of incident: At an intersection in Pedro Acharon Boulevard<br />
and Magsaysay Avenue, General Santos City<br />
AHRC-UA-198-2007<br />
article 2 � June-Sept 2012 Vol. 11, No. 2-3
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