Andrea Rosal mourning the death of her baby. Photograph from SELDA
The military's legal battle in the case of Andrea Rosal, daughter of the late New People's Army (NPA) spokesman Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal, has resulted in a decision by the Regional trial Court Branch 64 in Mauban, Quezon to free her from detention after it found no probable cause to indict her.
The human rights advocacy group Karapatan had decried the military's move as a case involving "trumped-up charges."
"We submit to the procedures of the court," Col. Noel Detoyato told journalists in reaction to the court order freeing Rosal.
Karapatan's head, Cristina Palabay, acknowledged that Rosal finally walked out from her detention cell at around 8:30 p.m. on Monday.
Rosal, together with some relatives and supporters, held a press conference in Quezon City on Tuesday morning.
Detoyato said the military cannot question the court's legal procedures, saying Rosal was given a "chance to defend herself" in court.
The military and police had filed murder and kidnapping charges against Rosal, which the court found had no merit at all.
The case of Rosal was the same in the case of the so-called "Morong 44" who were arrested while attending a medical seminar at a farm in Morong, Rizal.
The military accused them of being members of the NPA and alleged they were in a bomb-making seminar when arrested.
The suspects denied this, and fought their case in court and won it and obtained their freedom.
But some of the Morong 44 were later found out to be real members of the NPA, having reportedly been killed in subsequent encounters with government troops.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/117230/afp-acknowledges-weak-case-vs-andrea-rosal
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