After more than three months of detention, Elpidio Romanca,
peasant from Barangay Mabini, Basey, Samar was
released on Sunday after posting bail.
Romanca was arrested in November last year after being
suspected as a member of the New People's Army (NPA) in Mabini, Basey, Samar .
He sustained gunshot wound on his head and in his right
thigh when the military allegedly indiscriminately fired at his home due to an
alleged encounter with the NPA in their barangay.
Romanca was accused of illegal possession of firearms and
ammunitions before the Basey, Samar Regional Trial Court (RTC).
Public Attorney's Office (PAO) Chief Atty. Persida V.
Rueda-Acosta, together with Atty. Zacarias Duquilla, PAO lawyer assigned at
Basey, Samar RTC Branch 30, have asserted that the motion for the reduction of
bail be granted from Php200,000 to Php 50,000.
Acosta argued that Romanca is an indigent and a poor
peasant.
She also cited the guidelines of the Supreme Court (SC) on
the rights of accused persons to bail and to speedy trial.
Meanwhile, the public prosecutor did not oppose the
reduction of bail.
Armed Force of the Philippines-Judge Advocate General’s
Office (AFP-JAGO) lawyer Paul Avila opposed the reduction and he said that the
amount of bail be increased to Php100,000.
Karapatan national deputy secretary general Roneo Clamor was
asked by the RTC to ensure that Romanca will attend his court hearings.
Clamor also testified during the hearing that Karapatan as a
human rights organization was denied of entry by the AFP when Romanca was still
detained at the Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City
Basey, Samar RTC Branch 30 Presiding Judge Tarcelo A.
Sabarre, Jr. granted the motion for the reduction of bail to Php50,000.
Sabarre also immediately ordered the release of Romanca from
military detention.
Romanca's wife and his three children also attended the
hearing.
In January this year, the military failed to present Romanca
before the Basey RTC resulting to temporary denial of his right to bail.
Romanca's next hearing is scheduled in May this year.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=740122
The involvement of KARAPATAN in the case of Elpidio Romancan is a strong indication that Romancan is in fact a member of the New People's Army (NPA). KARAPATAN is the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) main human rights umbrella front organization. The group rarely wastes its time on folks who are not members of the underground movement.
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