Kidapawan City (CNN Philippines) — Farmers are set to file multiple criminal and administrative charges against national and local officials in relation to the violent protest dispersal in Kidapawan City last April 1.
Read: What we know so far on the Kidapawan protest dispersal
Complaints will be filed against Interior and Local Government Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala and National Police Director Ricardo Marquez at the Office of the Ombudsman Mindanao in Davao City on Monday (April 25).
Also included in the list of repondents are North Cotabato Governor Emmylou Talino-Mendoza, Kidapawan City Mayor Joseph Evangelista, former North Cotabato Police Director Alexander Tagum, Former Kidapawan City Police Director John Meredel Calinga and the brigade commander of the 39th Infantry Batalion.
All members of the PNP Dispersal Team are also included in the complaint sheets.
Related: Kidapawan protesters face criminal complaints
According to Atty. Joel Mahinay of the United Peoples’ Lawyers in Mindanao (UPLM), the respondents will face violation of the anti-graft law, illegal arrest, arbitrary detention violation of rights of persons arrested, perjury, obstruction of justice, and violation of Public Assembly Act, aside from administrative complaints.
Among the complainants is Ibao Sulang, whose son Darwin died of a gunshot wound sustained during the April 1 dispersal.
Other farmers who claimed police authorities shot them during the dispersal as well as the farmers who were illegally arrested also served as complainants.
Organizations Bayan and Karapatan have mobilized crowds to support the complainants at the Ombudsman.
