Surveillance
Guerrero sensed he was put under surveillance before he was abducted.
He talked of a certain Jude Mendez who went to their church and introduced himself as a UCCP member from Silliman University. The man became active in church activities, even attending midweek prayer meetings. Many observed that Mendez was always sending text messages while inside the church.
On the day he was abducted, Guerrero said, Mendez was in the church. His colleagues told him that Mendez went out the moment Guerrero and his family stepped out of the church.
Guerrero said that one of his sons saw Mendez inside another van.
Guerrero said his abductors have a duplicate of his old subscriber identity module (SIM) card. He said they took his cell phone and when they returned it, a copy of his old SIM card had been inserted; they took the new one. He said, “Kaya nilang gumawa ng duplicate. Sa pamamagitan noon, kaya nilang magmanman.” (They can make a duplicate [of any SIM card]. Through it, they can monitor someone’s activities.)
Role
Amid everything that happened, Guerrero deemed God has a purpose.
He said, “May dapat akong gawin. (There is something I must do). I should speak for the victims the disappeared, tortured and killed – and expose how the government treats those who they perceive as enemies.”
He said his arrest was part of the counter-insurgency program of the government. Guerrero said those who took him belong to a military unit. He said, “Hindi pwedeng may mga units na nag-o-operate above the law or under the law. Ang kumuha sa akin lawless enforcers.” (Units of the military should not be allowed to operate as if they are above or under the law. Those who took me are lawless enforcers.)
He said it is important to expose these elements. He said that the Philippine National Police (PNP) covers up these lawless operations.
In his case, Guerrero was charged with murder and inciting to sedition. “Charges are being used by the military as a justification to abduct usThey want to extract information regarding the NPA. I don’t have any,” he said
First hearing
During the first hearing of the murder case against Guerrero at the Branch 19 of the Regional Trial Court in Bacoor, Cavite, June 6, his lawyers filed a motion for his immediate release.
In an interview, Atty. Emilio Capulong Jr. said there is no basis for Guerrero’s detention. Capulong underscored that no preliminary investigation took place.
RTC Judge Matias Garcia gave the prosecution five days to submit its comment.
Capulong said he is hopeful that the judge would see that their position is just. Bulatlat
