CAMP ALEJO SANTOS, Bulacan — The Bulacan Police, headed by Col. Relly Arnedo, is contemplating on filing “appropriate charges” against Jonila Castro and Jhed Tamano, the two environmental activists who were allegedly “abducted” in Bataan on September 2 this year.

In a statement posted on the Facebook account of the Bulacan Provincial Police Office, it said Bulacan PNP investigators will look into the legality of the sworn statements of the two environmentalists for possible filing of appropriate charges if evidence warrants.

The Bulacan Police noted, “the two voluntarily executed without duress, ‘Sinumpaang Salaysay,’ stating that they voluntarily surrendered to authorities.”

It can be recalled that the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) conducted a press conference at the Plaridel Municipal Hall on Tuesday dubbed “TAGGED Reloaded: Debunking lies by telling the truth” that was attended by Alexander Umpar, director of NTF-ELCAC secretariat, Lt.Col Ronnel dela Cruz, commanding officer of the 70th Infantry Battalion, Plaridel Mayor Jocell Aimee Vistan-Casaje and the two environment activists.

Dela Cruz introduced the two activists as having returned to the fold of the law and pointed out that they requested that they be interviewed by the media to clear the issue on whether they were abducted or not.

During the press briefing, Tamano and Castro recanted the sworn statement, noted by the Bulacan Police, that they surrendered voluntarily.

When given the chance to speak, Castro boldly claimed, “we were abducted by military men on board a van…then they threatened us, that the truth… it is not our choice to be placed under military custody, and the content of our affidavit is not true… the affidavit was made inside the military camp and we have no choice.”

Tamano also confirmed Castro’s statement, and the press conference ended after journalists asked who would hold the two individuals in custody following their revelations. They were then escorted into one of the offices at the Plaridel Municipal Building.

After several hours the two environmental activists were turned over to the Commission of Human Rights

Photo: Mon Lazaro