Arroyo regime will not threaten me into silence --Rep. Beltran

*From the Office of Anakpawis Representative Crispin B. Beltran *

Lisa C. Ito, Public Information Officer (+63)927.796.7006

Tel. # (+632) 426-9442 Email:
*crispinbeltran@gmail.com
*

URL: http://* www.geocities.com/ap_news *


*NEWS RELEASE March 7, 2006 *


*Arroyo regime will not threaten me into silence--Rep. Beltran*


In his first public appearance since his illegal arrest and detention last
February 25, Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran will be speaking out against the
illegality and arbitrariness of his arrest and continuing detention,
castigating Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye,
the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Department of Justice (DOJ)
Secretary Raul Gonzales for "the current state of intensifying political
repression that they have imposed on the entire Filipino people".


The court hearing on a motion filed by Rep. Beltran's legal counsels will
start today. Attys. Romeo T. Capulong, Rachel F. Pastores, and Amylyn B.
Sato of the Public Interest Law Center (PILC) submitted a Motion for
Judicial Determination of Probable Cause on Criminal Case No. 06-452
entitled People of the Philippines vs. Lawrence San Juan, Crispin Beltran,
et al, now pending before the Regional Trial Court of Makati City, Branch
137.


The hearing was initially held yesterday as scheduled at the MRTC. Rep.
Beltran was prevented from attending the hearing due to the PNP's
non-issuance of a permit for Rep. Beltran to do so. Presiding Judge Sixto
Maretta, Jr. of the RTC Branch 138, however, yesterday ordered Rep.
Beltran's military custodians to produce him before the court today at 10
AM.


At today continuation of the hearing, Rep. Beltran will be allowed to show
by controverting evidence that his arrest was unlawful, his detention
arbitrary, and his illegal arrest and indefinite detention in violation of
his parliamentary immunity from arrest, according to Rep. Beltran's counsels
from the PILC. Rep. Beltran will also prove that there is absolutely no
basis to prosecute him for the charge of rebellion and that the prosecutors
involved in his detention acted in violation of his constitutional rights
and pertinent rules of court.


Rep. Beltran also slammed the 'creeping state of *de facto* Martial Law
imposed by Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her cohorts'."I am not thankful
in any way for the lifting of Presidential "imposition" 1017, since it has
effectively put in place mechanisms for further political repression and
violations of civil liberties and press freedom by the state," he said.


"The Arroyo dictatorship should be held liable for the creeping media
censorship and the dastardly human rights violations against progressive
parliamentarians it has committed under the pretext of quelling a 'state of
emergency', including my illegal arrest and arbitrary detention and the
political harassment against the five other party list representatives
Rafael Mariano, Liza Maza, Satur Ocampo, Joel Virador, and Teddy Casino,"
Rep. Beltran said.


Rep. Beltran's family have also been calling for the immediate release of Ka
Bel on humanitarian grounds. The 73-year old Beltran, a recovering stroke
victim and diagnosed with hypertension and diabetes, has been confined at
the PNP General Hospital since March 2 for unstable blood pressure levels.


In spite of his deteriorating health, Rep. Beltran vowed to fight against
the 'political repression that this illegal, corrupt, fascist, and anti-poor
regime is waging against its staunchest critics'.


"The Arroyo regime will never be able to threaten me into silence. I will
continue to struggle and speak out for national democracy and freedom in the
streets, in Congress, in the courts, and even in jail," Rep. Beltran said.
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