Human rights group assails OSG's motion to detain anew suspected NPA leader
A human rights group criticized the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) for asking the Court of Appeals (CA) to detain anew a released 81-year-old man who was suspected to be a leader of the New People’s Army (NPA) and a consultant of National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).
In a statement, the group Karapatan said “the OSG should have better things to do than to waste State resources on efforts that would throw an innocent, old and ailing man in jail just to save face.”
Through its Secretary General Cristina Palabay, Karapatan reacted to the OSG’s motion for reconsideration which appealed the June 27 decision of the CA that ordered the release of Prudencio “Tay Pruding” Calubid Jr., 81, through a writ of habeas corpus.
Case records showed that Calubid was arrested by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) in December 2024.
Palabay said the OSG’s motion for reconsideration was a mere reiteration of the PNP-CIDG’s false claims that an “extensive investigation and intelligence gathering” had been conducted to verify Calubid’s identity.
She reminded that the CA ordered Calubid’s release after considering overwhelming evidence to prove the old man’s identify not related to the NPA or NDFP.
Karapatan said that Calubid is a retired technician and a former overseas Filipino worker (OFW) and not NPA leader of NDFP consultant.
It said government authorities should have conducted even basic verification within the community where Calubid has resided for several years.