Esperon charges nun, 80, with perjury

MANILA, Philippines — An 80-year-old nun, a leader of the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP), posted bail yesterday after she was formally charged with perjury by a Quezon City court upon a complaint filed by National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr.

Sister Elenita Belardo yesterday posted P18,000 in bail after the Quezon City Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 37 issued a warrant for her arrest.

The perjury case was filed by Esperon to counter the petitions for writ of amparo and habeas data filed by the RMP and other  groups before the Supreme Court.

A Quezon City prosecutor found that there was probable cause to charge Belardo after she claimed that the RMP is a duly registered non-stock and non-profit organization when the group’s certificate of registration was revoked in 2003.

Belardo said she made the claim in good faith.

The resolution was issued on Nov. 8 but released to the respondents and members of media earlier this week.

Esperon’s complaint against other individuals and leaders of sectoral groups were dismissed due to lack of probable cause and insufficiency of evidence. 

The Court of Appeals had dismissed the petitions filed by these groups, also citing lack of evidence to prove their claims of extrajudicial killings and other violations by state forces.