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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Human rights lawyers dismayed over huge bail set for 3 activists

Human rights lawyers dismayed over huge bail set for 3 activists

Published Dec 13, 2022 10:20 am

NUPL

An organization of human rights lawyers has expressed dismay over the huge amount of bail bond that have to be posted by three activists for their temporary liberty after three years of detention on charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives.

Manila Regional Trial Court Judge Paulino Q. Gallegos had allowed Reina Mae A. Nasino, Alma E. Moran and Ram Carlo P. Bautista to post bail.

Bail bond was fixed at P420,000 each for Nasino and Moran. Bautista’s bail is P570,000.

National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) Secretary General Ephraim Cortez said: “They can now be bailed out. Their Petition for Bail is granted, meaning the Court agrees that the evidence against them is not strong.”

“They had to fight tooth and nail for what is rightfully theirs, but they have to wait a while longer before they could raise the bail money,” Cortez said.

He pointed out: “We are not unmindful that the Court merely followed, and is bound to follow, the bail bond guide when it fixed the amount of bail, however, the staggering amount, is tantamount to an ‘excessive bail’ that impairs their capacity to post bail.”

The NUPL is the legal counsel of the three accused who are facing charges of 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.

Cortez said “the case against Reina Mae, Alma and Ram are baseless and dismissible, and the Court of Appeals, and now even the Trial Court seems to, agree.”

“Procedurally, however, they have to wait for the Court of Appeals’ Decision to attain finality before the case could be dismissed, or wait for the completion of the presentation of evidence by the prosecution before they can have the case dismissed on demurrer to evidence,” he said.

“The irony of it all is that, through machination, they were deprived of their liberty ‘as easy as pie’, and have to ‘move heavens’ just to regain what is rightfully theirs,” he said.

Nasino is a coordinator of the urban poor organization Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) Manila chapter, Bautista is a campaign director of th Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) Manila chapter, and Alma Moran is member of the secretariat of the labor union Manila Workers Unity.

They were arrested on Nov. 5, 2019 by police at the office of Bayan in Tondo, Manila where arresting officers who were implementing search warrants allegedly found firearms and explosives which the accused claimed were allegedly planted.

Nasino gave birth to a baby girl she named River on July 1, 2020 while in detention.

However, her baby died while in the care of her family after the court ordered their separation.

TAGS: #Nasino #RTC #NUPL

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