Human rights lawyers have raised, so far, P80,000 of the P1.41 million needed by three activists and community workers for their bail bond pegged by the trial court for their temporary release on charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives.
“We need more to bring Reina Mae A. Nasino, Alma E. Moran and Ram Carlo P. Bautista home for Christmas,” lawyer Ephraim Cortez of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) said on Sunday, Dec. 18.
Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Paulino Q. Gallegos, in an order issued last Dec. 12, granted the bail petitions of the three activists.
For Nasino and Moran, bail was set at P420,000 each. For Bautista, bail was pegged at P570,000.
The RTC has not acted on the petition to reduced bail to P210,000 each for Nasino and Moran, and to P285,000 for Bautista.
Bautista is the campaign director of the multi-sectoral formation Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-Manila chapter (BAYAN-Manila), while, Moran is a member of the secretariat of labor union Manila Workers Unity and Nasino is a coordinator of urban poor organization Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap-Manila chapter (Kadamay-Manila).
They were arrested on Nov. 5, 2019 by police at the office of the BAYAN in Tondo, Manila where arresting officers, who were implementing search warrants, allegedly found firearms and explosives.
The three accused denied the allegations and claimed that the firearms and explosives were allegedly planted by police.
Nasino gave birth to a baby girl she named River on July 1, 2020 while in detention. However, the baby died in the care of her family after the court ordered their separation.
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