Human rights lawyers filed with the office of the city prosecutors of Manila an urgent motion to dismiss the complaints against the hundreds of detainees arrested by the police last Sunday, September 21.
National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL), Public Interest Law Center and Sentro Para sa Tunay na Repormang Agraryo also asked for the immediate release of at least 216 detainees, including dozens of minors.
The petitioners said the respondents were arrested without warrants, detained beyond the periods allowed under Article 125 of the Revised Penal Code, and now face complaints that fail to present a prima facie case with reasonable certainty of conviction.
“Many were children and minors, some merely bystanders, who should never have been jailed in the first place,” the petitioners said.
“We urge the immediate release of all detainees and accountability for those responsible for these unlawful arrests and continuing rights violations,” they added.
Further victimizing children
The NUPL also said they condemn the “continuing mistreatment” of children-detainees who remain separated from their parents four days after their arrests.
Parents have been waiting outside police headquarters and precincts throughout Manila, pleading for a glimpse of their sons and daughters.
NUPL said that some of the children did not participate in the protests and were innocent bystanders swept up in the crackdown.
“They were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time,” the lawyers said.
“Instead of compassion, they were met with cruelty: dragged away, beaten, locked up, and cut off from their families,” they added.
NUPL’s condemnation came after reports that Manila Mayor Francisco Domagoso planned to haul the minors to his officer “to lecture them.”
Domagoso has also summoned their parents to the Manila City Hall the lawyers said may be to pressure them into accepting of liability for supposed crimes.
“This is consistent with his earlier threat that unless parents assist authorities in identifying those “behind” the protests, they themselves will be held answerable under the law,” NUPL said. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)
