Satur Ocampo 'escorted' to Batasan by House leaders

Party list Rep. Satur Ocampo (Bayan Muna) arrived at the Batasang Pambansa complex Monday afternoon accompanied by top officials of the House of Representatives. Ocampo said he was fetched from the University of the Philippines (UP) in Diliman, Quezon City by House majority leader Prospero Nograles and House minority leader Francis Escudero, GMA7’s DZBB reported. Ocampo said he called Escudero and Nograles and sought their assistance in getting to the Batasan Pambansa complex to evade being arrested by elements of the Philippine National Police (PNP). The PNP filed Monday morning rebellion charges against Ocampo and 50 other leaders and members identified with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPp-NPA), party-list representatrives and other militant leaders. Ocampo escaped arrest by elements of the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) last Saturday. Ocampo said he anticipated policemen would target him next after he learned that fellow party list Rep. Crispin Beltran (Anak Pawis) was arrested at his residence in Bulacan early Saturday morning. He said he immediately left after the Saturday press conference called by members of the House minority bloc at the Sulo Hotel in Quezon City to elude arrest. The police have been carrying out warrantless arrests since Friday after President Arroyo declared a state of national emergency following a military expose of a coup plot against the government. GMANews.TV