Three years after their arrest and detention, three activists have been granted bail by the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC).
Ordered to post bail for their temporary liberty were Reina Mae A. Nasino. Alma E. Moran, and Ram Carlo P. Bautista “for failure of the prosecution to prove the evidence of guilt against all accused are strong.”
In an order issued last Dec. 12, RTC Judge Paulino Q. Gallegos said: “In these cases, after careful examination of the evidence presented by the prosecution and without necessary delving into the validity of the search warrants issued against the accused as the same are still pending before the appellate court, the Court finds that the evidence of guilt against all accused were not strong.”
Judge Gallegos said that “there are five cases filed against herein accused” and there is “the need for the prosecution to at least show each count that evident proof or presumption of guilt exists.”
Nasino, Moran and Bautista have been charged with illegal possession of firearms and explosives in violation of Presidential Decree No. 1866, as amended, and Republic Act 10591, also known as the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.
They were arrested on Nov. 5, 2019 by the police at the office of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) in Tondo, Manila where arresting officers who were implementing search warrants allegedly found firearms and explosives which, cause-oriented groups claimed, were allegedly planted.
Nasino is a coordinator of the urban poor organization Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) Manila chapter, Bautista is a campaign director of Bayan Manila chapter, and Alma Moran is a member of the secretariat of the labor union Manila Workers Unity.
In the order granting bail, the RTC ordered Bautista to post a total bail amount of P570,000, while Nasino and Moran were told to post bail of P420,000 each.
Judge Gallegos said the prosecution presented two witnesses during the bail hearings of the accused, namely, Police Corporal Christopher Jacinto and Jocelyn Corpus.
“Prosecution witnesses Corpus and Jacinto failed to show that the circumstances they testified to are such that the inference of guilt naturally drawn therefrom is strong, clear, and convincing,” the judge said.
“The essential elements of the offenses, the surrounding circumstances, the subject of the offenses (corpus delicti) and the identity and participation of each of the accused were not shown to be strong,” he added.
During her detention, Nasino gave birth to a baby girl she named River on July 1, 2020.
However, her baby died while in the care of her family after the court ordered their separation.
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