By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
Bulatlat.com

MANILA — The Mauban Regional Trial Court Branch 64 has dropped the charges against the daughter of the late Communist Party of the Philippines spokesperson, her lawyers said.

Andrea Rosal, daughter of the late Gregorio “Ka Roger” Rosal, was arrested last March 27, 2014 in Caloocan City. She was on her seventh month of pregnancy and was heading to her pre-natal check-up when arrested.

During detention, Rosal’s two-day old baby daughter Diona Andrea died. Rosal blamed her baby’s poor health in part due to government neglect and adverse jail conditions.

In a statement, Ma. Kristina Conti, one of Rosal’s lawyers and National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) assistant secretary general for campaigns, said the Quezon court has granted her motion to quash false murder charge, and this morning, Sept. 7, issued the release order.

Last year, the Pasig Court dismissed kidnapping charges against Rosal for lack of evidence. Rights defenders have long assailed that these were meant to harass Rosal.

Conti said lawyers and paralegals are currently working for her immediate release “as there is no more legal basis or impediment to hold her in custody.”