Former Rep. Satur Ocampo and ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro have condemned the Tagum City Regional Trial Court’s ruling that convicted them of child abuse charges related to a 2018 incident involving lumad students in Mindanao.
The court sentenced Ocampo, Castro, and 11 others to four to six years in prison and ordered them to pay damages to the minors.
The activists, dubbed the “Talaingod 18,” plan to appeal, claiming the charges are fabricated and part of ongoing persecution against those defending lead rights.
National Security Adviser Eduardo Año and others have supported the verdict, stating it reinforces accountability under the law.
Various human rights and advocacy groups, however, argue the ruling is a weaponization of the judiciary against human rights defenders.
Source: PhilNews24 | July 16, 2024
