More detainees arrested during the Sept. 21 protests have been ordered released by the Office of the City Prosecutor of Manila (OCPM) last Monday.
In an Order of Release addressed to the Pandacan Police Station of the Manila Police District (MPD), the prosecutors ordered station commander Myriel Velasquez to release 10 detainees it had been keeping in jail for nine days.
National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) president Ephraim Cortez the release after the inquest prosecutor dismissed “disobedience” charges against the respondents while their other charges against them were referred for further investigation.
“It means there was no valid legal ground to hold (them) in detention. But the MPD allowed several days to expire before releasing (them) from custody,” Cortez said.
“Who is to blame for their prolonged and unjustified detention? Do we blame? The MPD or the OCPM?” he asked.
The human rights lawyer added that whoever is to be blamed, it was the likes of detainee Alvin Karingal who had to endure prolonged detention and adverse prison conditions.
Karingal, the protester who went viral online for his demand to have prices of fish ball and similar street food prices be brought down was among the ten released from jail last Monday.
Despite insistence by his mother that Alvin suffers from mental health issues, the protester spent nine days in jail until OCPM’s release order.
Dozens more remain in various jails throughout Manila. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)
