National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera (Photo courtesy of lumbera.ph)
The family of National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera issued this statement this morning:
At around 6am, a group of men was seen taking photos of and asking information regarding National Artist Bienvenido Lumbera’s house in a subdivision in Quezon City. One of them was approached and apprehended by subdivision security officers. His companions fled as the man was being questioned. The man was found to be an enlisted AFP intelligence personnel and upon inspection of his military ID was identified as Corporal Guerrero Hannival Mosura Mondido of the Marines.
As of this writing, the man is being held for questioning by subdivision security officials and is set to be turned over to the police.
Subdivision security personnel were able to get these identification cards from Mondido:
Photocopies of Mondido's ID cards
A critic of the President Arroyo, Lumbera recently joined other National Artists in assailing Malacanang intervention in the National Artist awards. He is presently a convenor of Concerned Artists of the Philippines and chairperson of ACT Teachers’ Partylist.
In 1993, Lumbera won the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Journalism, Literature and Creative Communication Arts.
Partylist congressmen will raise the issue in today’s House appropriations committee hearings which will tackle the budget of the Department of National Defense.
UPDATE: As of 12:00 noon, four online news outlets have reported on the incident:
- Bulatlat: Soldier Nabbed for Spying on Lumbera, National Artist and Arroyo Critic
- GMANews.tv: ‘Soldier’ held for ‘surveillance’ on National Artist Lumbera’s home
- Inquirer.net: ‘Marines’ stalker of National Artist caught
- abs-cbnNEWS.com Marine arrested for spying on National Artist’s house
Marine arrested for spying on National Artist’s house
Tags: bien lumbera, intelligence, national artist, spies
honestly, is this true that politicians and public officials can use government resources to do spying operations for whatever reason?
Ano ‘to, sine? Nakakatakot kung ang nagdidirek nito ay si Carlo Caparas, co-directed by Ronnie Puno / Norberto Gonzales.
Appalling. Truly appalling!
jojo, AMEN to your comment!
protektahan ang mga nagsusulong ng makatarungang ideolohiya!
GMA, may araw ka rin.
Not much of a spy eh?
Just imagine how evil GMA is… For sure God is watching you Gloria Arroyo, you can run from your professional corrupt activities but you can not hide in GOD’s eyes!
Grabe na talaga itong rehimeng ito.
Harap-harapan na ito. Pati ba namani si Lumbera. Tantanan na ang sobrang pamulitika. This is a blatant human right violation from the government which is supposed to be the protector of the people. Tsk.Tsk.
The State has the right to protect itself from its enemies. It’s like preserving one’s own life. Surveillance on perceived enemy is one manner.
Intel services of the government don’t just spy on people at random. Surely, there must be sufficient derogatory information on the subject person to cause the surveillance.
After all, it is the duty of the State to protect the citizenry from bad people… National Artists or otherwise.
@State Side
Your attempt to explain away the surveillance on Bien Lumbera is unsatisfactory.
The state has a duty to respect and uphold the right of the people. That is why there’s a Bill of Rights, to protect the people from excesses and abuses of government, including violations of the right to privacy, free movement and freedom from government interference and harassment.
I suppose the administration has not dubbed Lumbera an enemy of the state.
aba matindi pala yan
The State has the duty not only to respect and uphold the rights of the people but also to make sure that these rights are provided to all of us. That is why the Bill of Rights was crafted by the State and ratified by the people to protect the people from excesses and abuses not only by the government but from criminals, dissidents, terrorists and extremists as well, including violations of the right to privacy, free movement and freedom from interference and harassment by criminals, dissidents, terrorists and extrimists.
I guess Lumbera has not been dubbed as an enemy of the State. I pray to God that he will not.
P.S.
There’s a lot of Government agencies where we can seek help when our rights are violated such as the CHR, the Courts, etc. The CIDG is one option.
i wonder what is it with Lumbera or what is with these marine people that they were sent to be spied or to spy…