Court dismisses Calaca 6 charges, 4 peasants now released

Meanwhile, two remaining peasants have yet to receive the resolution to dismiss their case.

Upon the order of the Balayan Regional Trial Court (RTC) that dismissed the trumped up charge of Illegal Possession of Firearms and Explosives upon the Calaca 6, four of the detained farmers were released and the rest are still waiting for the resolution that will formally dismiss their cases.

The released farmers were Julie Jolongbayan, Doroteo Bautista, Marcelo Vidal, and Barangay Coral ni Lopez secretary Virgilio Vidal. Councilor Leovino Julongbayan and Roilan Tenorio remain in detainment.

In a statement, Samahan ng Magsasaka sa Coral ni Lopez (SAMACOLO) welcomed the said decision, saying that it exposed the systematic action of the National Task for to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) to combat progressive individuals.

“Wala talagang nagtatagumpay sa mga gawa-gawang kaso na niluluto lamang upang higit na supilin ang mga mamamayan. Litaw rin ang sistematikong pagpaplano ng pambansang pamahalaan katuwang ang NTF-ELCAC nang sa ganoon ay palabasin na nagtatagumpay ang kanilang bigong counter-insurgency programs ngunit sa katotohanan ay mga ordinaryong mamamayan ang naaapektuhan,” the peasant organization said.

Upon the decision of Balayan RTC, the court invalidated the search warrant issued by the Sta. Cruz RTC Judge Cynthia R. Mariño-Ricoblanca last May 7 which led to the violent arrest of six farmers in Barangay Coral ni Lopez in Calaca, Batangas on May 10. The decision also explained that the arrest was illegal which led the court to junk the case.

Meanwhile, the case of the two remaining peasants were also quashed by the court and they are now waiting for the resolution to dismiss their case.

The peasant organization also explained that they will continue the fight against feudalism, despite the enactment of Anti-Terror Law and the ongoing pandemic.

“Ang naganap na pagkakakulong at pagsasampa ng mga gawa-gawang kaso laban sa calaca 6 at iba pang magsasaka ay napapagtagumpayan dahil lumaban ang mga magsasaka, nasa gitna man ng pandemya at Terror Law ni Duterte. Hindi nito kayang lupigin ang mga tagumpay ng SAMACOLO sa loob ng 45 taong pakikibaka laban sa pyudalismo,” they stated. [P]