Arroyo gov’t arrests Crispin Beltran; Ka Satur eludes capture

Elements of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group of the Philippine National Police this morning arrested without warrant House of Representatives member Crispin Beltran.

Also taken into custody were Beltran’s wife Rosario and several others who were with the Anakpawis partylist representative as he was leaving his family farm in Bulacan.

Beltran, the chairman emeritus of the Kilusang Mayo Uno, was also arrested and imprisoned under the Marcos dictatorship.

UN Justice Romeo T. Capulong is now at Camp Crame to provide legal counsel to Beltran.

About two hours later, fully-armed soldiers surrounded the main entrance and exit of Sulo Hotel in Quezon City where the House Minority was holding a press conference. Staff of Bayan Muna, Anakpawis and Gabriela smelled a rat and promptly took extra-precautions in securing the life and liberty of their partylist representatives.

House Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo and four other solons eluded certain arrest. Two of his security aides on board his Toyota Revo were arrested. Reps. Ocampo, Liza Maza of Gabriela, Teddy Casiño of Bayan Muna and Rafael Mariano of Anakpawis eluded arrest by taking alternate exits and by boarding different vehicles.

Ocampo was also a political detainee under the Marcos dictatorship. All of the charges of subversion and rebellion were not ever proven in any court of the Marcos dictatorship. Rearrested under the Aquino regime, Ocampo was freed in 1992 after a court said the charges of murder, kidnapping and illegal possesion of firearms were baseless.