Three activists have been charged during “Bloody Sunday,” in which 9 individuals who allegedly fought were killed in various parts of Southern Tagalog.
Among those charged was a 61-year-old grandmother Nimfa Lanzanas.
She is a housewife and also a paralegal of the Kapatid group.
“Humihingi po ako ng tulong, sana matulungan niyo ako… Ang trabaho ko lang po ay isang simpleng maybahay lang po ako, nag-aalaga ng aking mga apo,” said Lanzanas in a video from Kapatid.
She was just one of those arrested on March 7 or what the rights groups called “Bloody Sunday” because of the bloody consequences of the police filing search warrants at the same time in Batangas, Rizal, Laguna, and Cavite.
Lanzanas was arrested at their house in Calamba, Laguna. Two guns, a grenade, ammunition, and a silencer were allegedly recovered from the said grandmother.
The search warrant also contained an M16 rifle.
‘Bloody Sunday’ arrests: 3 activists, including a grandmother, charged
“Imposible pong magkaroon ng ganu’ng device sa bahay. Unang una, siyempre, senior na ‘yung mama ko. Walang kaalaman ‘yan sa paggamit ng ganun… Sa estado rin ng buhay namin, di rin naman namin kayang bumili ng ganu’ng klaseng explosives… Napakadelikado ng ganu’ng bagay na laging tao sa bahay mga bata,” said Madeleine Lanzanas, daughter of Nimfa.
In the affidavit of the police, they allegedly showed the search warrant and two barangay residents before searching the house.
But the Nimfas’s 3 minor grandchildren told a different story to their mother.
“Sinira ‘yung doorknob, then pinalabas sila… Pinalabas sila and then ano, pagsilip daw niya, patay na ‘yung ilaw. During that time, nagkaroon sila ng tsansa para makapagtanim,” said Madeleine.
Police also allegedly forcibly entered the Defend Yulo Farmers office in Cabuyao, Laguna where they arrested labor leader Elizabeth Camoral, who was allegedly caught with a gun and ammunition that was allegedly lying on an open shelf.
“Around 4 a.m. po pumasok bigla ‘yung PNP sa may gate namin. Biglang may pumasok na PNP sa loob ng kuwarto. Habang pinapadapa kami, ramdam ko po, nararamdaman ko po na may narinig po akong kaluskos. Narinig ko, naghahalughog sila sa may workshop area,” said Marife Valde Avilla, a witness in the said “Bloody Sunday” incident.