“The law cannot allow six months of unlawful incarceration and the irreparable harm it caused to pass without consequence.”

By MICHEL JOY RADAM
Bulatlat.com

BULACAN – The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL), counsel of Prudencio Calubid Jr., considers taking legal action to hold the arresting officers accountable over his wrongful and malicious six-month imprisonment since last December 7, 2024. 

“The law cannot allow six months of unlawful incarceration and the irreparable harm it caused to pass without consequence,” NUPL said in a statement. “It cannot be business as usual. State forces and agencies, particularly those that enabled, carried out, or benefited from these egregious violations of human rights, must be held accountable.”

The 81-year old retired technician, Prudencio Cebu Calubid Jr., was arrested on December 7, 2024 by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Olongapo and CIDG Camp Crame in his home at Gordon Heights, Olongapo City, and presented a warrant of arrest for Prudencio Calubid, an alleged consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) with a P7.8-million (approximately US$138,480) bounty on his head.

However, the said NDFP consultant has been missing since 2006, after he and four others were abducted by suspected state agents in Sipocot, Camarines Sur.

Read: Prudencio Calubid: The Best Father a Child Could Have

On June 27, Court of Appeals (CA) 16th Division granted the habeas corpus petition filed by his daughter Analyn Calubid, and ordered his immediate release.

Read: Daughter seeks court’s help for 81-year-old father mistakenly arrested as NPA leader

Citing in its 67-page ruling, CA’s basis was due to arresting officers’ “lack of due diligence,” including their failure to conduct even basic verification within the very community where Prudencio, Jr. had resided for several years.

CA rejected the so-called “surveillance” conducted by police, which was found to rely largely on open-source internet searches, Facebook photos, and vague physical resemblance.

CA also noted that after his arrest police even ignored official and verifiable documents presented by Calubid Jr., including government-issued IDs and employment records.

The court warned that such a case poses a serious concern as law enforcers become a source of injustice.

“This case does not exist in a vacuum, rather, it sends the wrong message to the public that those tasked to serve and protect the people, such as the respondents, are their very reason to fear injustice, and that fundamental rights may be easily overlooked for convenience, carelessness, or, possibly, personal and selfish gains,” the court stated.

Named respondents in the case are Supt. Lino M. Soriano, warden of the Manila City Jail; Maj. Gen. Nicholas Torre III, chief of the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG); and Police Maj. Gen. Rommel Francisco D. Marbil, Chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Meanwhile, human rights group Karapatan, welcomed the court ruling.

“We are relieved that Tay Pruding is finally free,” said Karapatan Deputy Secretary General Maria Sol Taule. “In the first place, Calubid should not have been arrested and detained. He was subjected to harsh prison conditions, worsening his health condition. He is among the victims of a bounty system of government that has victimized countless others.” (AMU, RVO)