Police arrested a Barangay councilor and development worker over a case already dismissed by a Bohol court, a human rights organization reported.
Barangay Poblacion, Trinidad town councilor Carmilo Tabada was arrested at his residence last Saturday morning by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) of the Bohol Philippine National Police, Karapatan-Central Visayas said in an alert.
A former staff of the non-government organization Farmers’ Development Center (FARDEC), Tabada is again being charged with “trumped-up” financing terrorism charges.
“The same financing terrorism case used as the basis for his arrest had already been filed earlier this year and was subsequently dismissed by a Bohol court for lack of jurisdiction,” the rights group said.
The arrest warrant was signed only on Friday, Karapatan said, and was “swiftly enforced…underscoring the extraordinary speed with which authorities move against activists,” it added.
Karapatan said Tabada’s arrest reinforced Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s pattern of repression against development workers, peasant advocates, and community leaders through legal harassment, red-tagging, and the use of baseless, even recycled, charges.
Tabada was previously arrested in June 2021 following a raid of his home and charged with illegal possession of firearms and explosives.
He was imprisoned for a year, but a local court dismissed the case due to the prosecution’s inconsistencies, fabricated narratives, and lack of credible evidence, Karapatan said.
“His (re-)arrest is not an isolated incident but part of a broader campaign to criminalize development work, humanitarian assistance, and legitimate political participation,” Karapatan said.
The rights organization pointed out that the government is persecuting a veteran development worker and an elected government official who has proven his commitment to serve communities.
“The timing of Tabada’s arrest, just days before the year ends, underscores the regime’s desperation to silence critics and intimidate those serving marginalized communities,” Karapatan said. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)
