NUPL lawyer Katherine Panguban during the indignation rally against the killing of Atty. Benjamin Ramos. The military filed kidnapping charges against Panguban. (Photo by Carlo Manalansan/Bulatlat)

By RONALYN V. OLEA
Bulatlat.com

MANILA — The Sagay City prosecutor dismissed for lack of probable cause the kidnapping and serious illegal detention charges filed against Katherine Panguban, lawyer of one of the witnesses in Sagay 9 massacre.

In a resolution dated June 17, Assistant State Prosecutor Ferdinand Fernandez said there “no kidnapping to speak of” as Lester, the alleged victim, voluntarily went with his mother. 

The prosecutor noted that a turnover agreement was signed Oct. 25, 2018 by all parties concerned in the presence of social welfare officers.

Lester’s father Vic Pedaso filed the case against Panguban. Pedaso also did not attend the scheduled hearing despite due notice. 

Panguban welcomed the resolution.

“I am thankful to our brave clients ‘ Lester’ and his mother. It is through their resolve to stand up for truth and justice that this was made possible,” Panguban told Bulatlat.

The young lawyer said the “quest for justice does not end here.” 

“We will hold accountable all those who committed these grave human rights violations against the farmers and the people,” Panguban said.

Panguban also helped in the March 29 filing of the case against IP Converge and Suniway, companies that are said to be the sources of the distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks against selected alternative news media outlets like Bulatlat. This makes her not just a human rights defender but also a press freedom and digital rights advocate.”

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