By
Inquirer
FRIENDS and political foes alike showed up for the 67th birthday celebration Friday of party-list Rep. Satur Ocampo at the Batasan Pambansa complex where Ocampo and four other militant party-list representatives have been holed up since Feb. 28 under the protective custody of the House.
“It’s no longer new for me to celebrate my birthday inside detention although I still don’t consider this detention ... but my wish remains to be for freedom not only for [me and my party-list colleagues] but also for the Filipino people to be released from this crisis,” Ocampo told reporters.
The so-called Batasan 5-Ocampo, Teodoro Casiño and Joel Virador of Bayan Muna, Anakpawis Rep. Rafael Mariano and Gabriela Rep. Liza Maza-face arrest on charges of rebellion if they leave the House premises.
They are likely to spend the Easter break there unless the Court of Appeals approves their petition to stop the Philippine National Police from arresting them pending the resolution of the justice department’s preliminary investigation into their case.
Among those who joined Ocampo and his family-wife Bobbie Malay and son Antonio and his wife Zandra-were Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte, a close ally of President Macapagal-Arroyo, and former University of the Philippines president Francisco Nemenzo, another militant from whom Ocampo became estranged in the 1990s because of ideological differences, and the latter’s wife Ana Maria.
Ocampo said his Bayan Muna and Nemenzo’s Laban ng Masa again have a common cause-to force President Macapagal-Arroyo’s resignation.
Belmonte was a contemporary of Ocampo’s in the pre-martial law media before Ocampo and other journalists like Antonio Ma. Zumel joined the communist underground.
“We were colleagues and have always been friends,” Ocampo said of Belmonte.
Also at the party was Akbayan party-list Rep. Loretta Ann Rosales, who has differed with Ocampo over the issue of compensating the rights abuse claimants but is now allied with him in the anti-Arroyo movement.
Agusan del Sur Rep. Rodolfo Plaza was the only member of the United Opposition at the party which was held at the “minority garden” of the House of Representatives.
Other guests were former Vice President Teofisto Guingona and his daughter Marie, audio expert Jim Sarthou, family friend Fides Lim, Quezon City parks administrator Charito Planas and journalists from the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism.
Guests had to content themselves with orange juice, soda, a few bottles of wine and some tuba (coconut wine) from Southern Leyte as the celebrator supposedly does not approve of serving alcoholic beverages.
“People might use it to present the picture that we’re just having too much of a good time inside the House,” said Anthony Cruz, a member of the Bayan Muna staff at the House.
There was no lack of good food, however, as there was quite a spread of Kapampangan fare, as well as fresh fruits, a cake from Speaker Jose de Venecia and his wife Gina, and several roast suckling pigs from a number of congressmen.
“Many of the congressmen were already out of town. So they just sent their pork,” said one of the guests.
More gatherings are being planned at the House during the Lenten break.
Maza’s party will hold an Easter egg hunt on Easter Sunday while Bobbie Ocampo is said to have suggested holding a meteor shower party the week after.