Even police rank-and-file would benefit from Ka Bel's Congress lobbying for higher wages

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 11, 2006


Bring Rep. Beltran to Congress and to a hospital of his own choice, wife
urges PNP
Even police rank-and-file would benefit from Ka Bel's Congress lobbying for
higher wages

There is nothing to lose for the employees of the Philippine National Police
(PNP) if their Director-General Arturo Lomibao honors Anakpawis Rep. Crispin
Beltran's request to attend Congressional budget hearings under police
custody, the wife of the illegally-detained solon said at a Treehouse press
conference in Quezon City this morning.

Mrs. Rosario "Ka Osang" Beltran, 64 years old, said that "even the police
rank-and-file would benefit should Rep. Beltran be successful in his bid to
gather support for legislation such as House Bills 1064, which provides for
a P3,000 across-the-board salary increase for government employees,
including the police rank-and-file."

Rep. Beltran yesterday wrote a formal letter to Lomibao, requesting that he
be allowed to attend the Congressional plenary hearings from March 13 to 15
next week under police custody. "Because of your foolish and canine
obedience to the directives of a dubious, paranoid, kleptocratic, and
treasonous president, assisted by her even more paranoid Secretary of the
Department of (In)justice, Congress is now getting back at you, by differing
consideration of your budget to the prejudices of the poverty-devastated
police rank-and-file. This situation must not be allowed to persist," Rep.
Beltran wrote in a letter dated March 10 inside the PNP General Hospital.

"Mas masahol pa sa pagkakakulong niya noong Batas Militar and dinadanas ng
aking asawa ngayon," Mrs. Beltran said of the 73-year old fiery labor
leader. "Walang-awa at 'di-makatarungan na siya ay itapon ng katulad nito sa
kulungan, sa kabila ng kanyang edad, sakit, at mga tungkulin bilang
mambabatas," she said.

"Ang 'di makatarungang pagkakapiit na ito ay lalong nagpapalala sa kanyang
kondisyon. Lalong nagdudulot ng stress at galit sa asawa ko ang maranasan
muli na lapastanganin ang kanyang karapatan bilang Pilipino, sibilyan, at
progresibong mambabatas. At ang sapilitang paghihiwalay sa kanyang dating
gawain sa Kongreso ay nakapagpapabigat ng kanyang mga inaalala, dahil lalong
naaantala ang laban ng mga progresibong kongresista para sa P125 at P3,000
dagdag-sahod, at pagbabasura sa mga kontra-mahihirap na batas," she said.

While the legal battle over Rep. Beltran's case proceeds, Mrs. Beltran said
that the government should allow him to attend Congress sessions even under
police custody. In times when his medical problems, such as high blood
pressure and diabetes, should recur, "it would still be best to have him
confined in a hospital of his family's choice, instead of the PNP General
Hospital which has still been inadequate in terms of facilities and support
for the past week".

"Nananawagan ako sa Korte upang mailipat ang aking asawa sa isang ospital
kung saan mas maaalagaan at makakakilos ng mahusay ito, habang dinidinggin
ng korte ang mga walang-katotohanang paratang sa kanya ng administrasyong
Arroyo. Nananawagan din sa mga kinauukulan na bigyang-puwang ang kanyang mga
gawain bilang isang mahusay na mambabatas. Bigyan siya ng pahintulot na
dumalo sa mga plenaryo, hearing sa ilalim ng police custody upang
mapagpatuloy ni Ka Bel ang paglilingkod sa sambayanang Pilipino," Mrs.
Beltran said. ###