Anakpawis Partylist Rep. Rafael Mariano yesterday slammed the government for the arrest and clandestine attempt to transfer Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Satur Ocampo from Manila to Leyte.

The widespread anger over the government's handling of Ocampo will strengthen support for progressive partylist groups in the May polls as public sympathy grows, he said.

Ocampo was arrested for multiple-murder charges filed against him in Leyte for alleged involvement in killings of suspected military spies in the mid-1980s by communist rebels.

Mariano said the government moves against Ocampo was part of the Arroyo administration's political persecution of progressive partylist groups.

Mariano's Anakpawis Partylist group held an indignation rally at the Bacolod public plaza yesterday to condemn the administration's moves against Ocampo and progressive partylist groups, These moves are part of the Arroyo administration's attempts to prevent an increase in the number of opposition senators and progressive representatives in the House to frustrate another round of impeachment complaints.

Mariano, yesterday also slammed a Commission on Human Rights fact-finding team that found no "concrete evidence" linking retired Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan and other officers under his command to the spate of alleged extrajudicial killings in Central Luzon.

The CHR findings are an indication that the 99 special courts tasked with handling extrajudicial killings will also be useless, he said. If cases do not progress at the CHR what is there to expect from the special courts? he asked.*CPG

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