DAVAO CITY – Former Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Satur Ocampo, Alliance of Concerned Teachers party-list rep. France Castro, and 16 others who were accused of transporting minors in Talaingod, Davao del Norte were released after paying a total of P1.44-million bail or P80,000 each Saturday night.
Police Regional Office 11 spokesperson Chief Insp. Jason Baria said yesterday that Davao del Norte Regional Trial Court Executive Judge Arlene Palabrica sign a “supplemental order for their release” after bail was paid at around 7 p.m.
Aside from Ocampo and Castro, others temporarily released were Pastor Edgar Ugal, Pastor Eller A. Ordeza, Rev. Ryan C. Magpayo, Rev. Jurie Jaime, Meggie Nolasco, Jesus Modamo, Maryro Poquita;
Maria Concepcion Ibarra, Jenveive Paraba, Merhaya Talledo, Maricel Andagkit, Marcial Rendon, Ariel Ansan, Mariane Aga, Nerfa Awing, and Wingwing Daunsay.
“At around 8:45 p.m. of Dec. 1, 2018, the respondents were properly released in the custody of the police,” Baria said.
The group of Ocampo has been charged for violating Republic Act 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act after they were intercepted in a checkpoint in Talaingod last week for bringing in 14 minors without their parents’ consent.
Earlier Saturday, an indignation rally initiated by the Ata-Manobo Tribal Council headed by Datu Guibang Apuga, Datu Pugsing Bubunan, and several others, with more or less 250 indigenous people, was held in front of the Talaingod Municipal Police Station.
The group demanded the total stoppage of the Salugpungan Community Learning Center and condemned the presence of Ocampo and his group and other Left-leaning organizations.
They also demanded that members of the Ata-Manobo tribe who are now at the United Churches of Christ in the Philippines in Haran, Davao City be allowed to return to their homes in Talaingod as they were forcefully prohibited by Ocampo’s group to go out from the premises of UCCP Haran.
Ocampo and Castro returned to Manila at around 11 p.m. Saturday after paying bail.
Their lawyer Joel Mahinay, a member of the National Union of People’s Lawyers, said yesterday that Ocampo and France took a flight more than two hours after their release.
Mahinay said Ocampo and Castro were supposed to leave earlier had they been released by authorities immediately after the issuance of the release order.
The release of the “Talaingod 18” was delayed after police officer and lawyer Louie Padillo manifested that they would not release the respondents because they are still undergoing preliminary investigation for kidnapping, failure to return the minors, and the bail of P80,000 each was only for the violation of Republic Act 7610, also known as the Special Protect of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act.
In her supplemental order, Palabrica said: “We must rule in favor of the respondents. It must be borne in mind that the prosecution merely recommends bail, the Court has the final and ultimate say on it.”
“(As the) respondents are still presumed innocent and no Information have been filed against them, their supreme right to liberty must be upheld,” she said. (Armando Frenequito and Antonio L. Colina IV)
