“Despite the evidence we presented, he wasn’t released. Why? Because there is a P7.8 million bounty on the person who shares the same name as our father.”

MANILA – The daughter of an 81-year old man mistakenly arrested and detained by the authorities filed a petition for habeas corpus at the Court of Appeals on Wednesday, April 16.   

Analyn Calubid, daughter of Prudencio Cebu Calubid, Jr., argued in her petition that her father’s continued detention is illegal because her father, Prudencio or “Pruding” as he is known in their village, is not the Prudencio Calubid that the authorities are after. 

“The continued detention of Prudencio Jr. is not the result of a mistaken identity; it is a case of deliberate misrepresentation, carried out in disregard of truth and due process,” the family’s counsel Julian Agpalo of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) asserted. 

Agpalo added that given Calubid’s advanced age, poor health, and the absence of any lawful basis for his arrest, the Court of Appeals (CA) is urged to immediately grant the writ and release him from detention.

It was on December 7, 2024 when elements of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Olongapo and CIDG Camp Crame came to Pruding’s home in Gordon Heights, Olongapo City, and presented a warrant of arrest for peace consultant Prudencio Calubid. Pruding willingly went with the authorities to clear his name. But months after and after several pieces of evidence showing that Pruding is not peace consultant Prudencio Calubid, Pruding is still detained.

Human rights groups said that National Democratic Front of the Philippines peace consultant Prudencio Calubid, his wife Celina Palma, Ariel Beloy, Antonio Lacno and Gloria Soco were abducted by alleged military agents in Sipocot, Camarines Sur while they were traveling on June 26, 2006. Except for Lacno, they remain missing to this day.  

Read: Prudencio Calubid: The best father a child could have

The Communist Party of the Philippines also said in a statement that it is not peace consultant Prudencio Calubid that the authorities arrested last year. 

In a social media post, Pruding’s daughter Analyn said that her father was a longtime employee at the Naval Base in Subic as aircon technician. He also worked abroad from 1991 until 1994. 

“Our family is asking: why didn’t the authorities broaden their investigation? It would have been easy for them to verify because our father has been living in Olongapo City for over 50 years,” she said. 

“We believe this is one of the many thousands of ‘mistaken identity’ cases happening in our country. The Prudencio Calubid who is supposedly an NPA leader being sought was already featured by Mr. Arnold Clavio in the episode ‘Ang pagdukot at pagtorture kay Ka Prudencio’’ in the program Case Unclosed,” she said. 

Analyn also expressed their worry over their father’s health as he has several illnesses such as gout and kidney problems. He also can no longer stand, which is why he is in a wheelchair. 

“Despite the evidence we presented, he wasn’t released. Why? Because there is a P7.8 million bounty on the person who shares the same name as our father,” she added. 

Meanwhile, human rights group Karapatan said that “state security forces, then and now, have abused their power by abducting individuals and illegally arresting people to gain monetary rewards.”

“They have already abducted and forcibly disappeared NDFP consultant Prudencio Calubid and his colleagues, and probably gained monetary rewards for the dastardly acts, and yet they illegally arrest individuals bearing the same name, again purportedly for monetary rewards. This is the mercenary character of these fascists in government,” said Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay in a statement. She added that they support the Calubid family in their call for the immediate release of Pruding. 

Palabay added that Pruding’s arrest is not an isolated case.

Karapatan said among the individuals who were wrongfully arrested using the government’s reward system include Rolly Panesa, a security guard in a hospital in Quezon City who was arrested in 2012 and alleged to be a certain Benjamin Mendoza, a high ranking CPP-NPA official with P5.6 Million bounty. Panesa was released after 10 months in detention after his petition for habeas corpus was granted by the court. He was heavily tortured by soldiers to force him to admit that he was Mendoza. 

Read: Arrested security guard, tortured by the military

Read: Kin of guard nabbed by the military file habeas corpus petition

Read: Court issues new warrant vs 4 police in Panesa torture case

Karapatan cited other similar cases. 

• In 2012, Oligario Sebas, a farmer, was arrested and was alleged to be top NPA cadre Filemon Mendez with a P5.8 million bounty. 
• Ofelia Inong, a community organizer in Cagayan Valley, was arrested on September 10, 2013, alleged to be NPA finance-logistics officer Lolita Loguibis with P2.05 million bounty. 

• In 2014, community midwife and church worker Lourdes Quioc and Reynaldo Ingal, retired National Power Corporation driver, were also illegally arrested in Mexico, Pampanga. They were alleged to be National Democratic Front of the Philippines consultants Eugenia Magpantay and Agaton Topacio, who had a P10.6 million bounty. 
• Authorities also arrested truck driver Baltazar Saldo in Capiz, alleged to be former NPA commander Virgilio Paragan with a P1.05 million bounty. 
• NDFP consultant Wigberto Villarico, again alleged as Benjamin Mendoza, was arrested on October 24, 2024
• Ernesto Panganiban was arrested in 2021 and was alleged to be Gavino Panganiban, a supposed NPA leader with a P4.5 million bounty. 
• Another so-called Gavino Panganiban was arrested in October 2024.

“This practice and policy should stop. We urge the Court of Appeals to grant the petition of the Calubid family. We call on the Marcos Jr. government to rescind all orders regarding the rewards system as these violate basic rights and fundamental freedoms of the people,” Palabay said. (RVO)