MANILA, Philippines — A municipal trial court (MTC) in Bulacan has issued a warrant for the arrest of environmental activists Jhed Tamano and Jonila Castro.
The warrant pertains to charges of oral defamation, filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in December 2023, as the agency dismissed the perjury charges previously filed against the two.
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The Doña Remedios Trinidad MTC served the warrant dated Feb. 2, 2024 against Castro and Tamano.
According to a copy of the arrest warrant obtained by Philstar.com, the bail set for both costs P18,000 each.
If found guilty, Castro and Tamano may face imprisonment of up to six months.
In a statement, the Hands Off Jhed and Jonila Network condemned the arrest of the two activists.
“Ngayong araw, balak muling ipagkait sa dalawa ang kanilang kalayaan at karapatan matapos ibaba ang panukalang arestuhin sila sa kasong oral defamation. Sa kabila ito ng pinanigang pasya ng Korte Suprema para garantyahan ng proteksyon (writ of amparo) ang dalawa,” the group’s statement posted on Facebook read.
(Today, there is a plan to once again deny them their freedom and rights after the proposal to arrest them for oral defamation was issued. This is despite the Supreme Court's recent decision to grant them protection [writ of amparo]).
“Dapat lamang na patuloy nating igiit ang ating karapatan habang itinataguyod ang ating makatarungang paglaban!” it added.
(We should continue to assert our rights while advocating for our just fight.)
In the DOJ’s resolution indicting the activists, the prosecutor said that Castro and Tamano resorted to a press conference to allegedly embarrass the 70 Infantry Battalion (IB) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
“Conspicuously, respondents ventilated the alleged abduction in the press conference, betraying their purpose to expose complainant and the AFP as well to greater latitude of public mockery, demonstrating their ill motive to prejudice them,” the resolution read.
“The slanderous words were obviously uttered with evident intent to strike deep into the character, honor and reputation of complainant and the AFP,” it added.
Following the reported abduction of the environmental activists in Bataan in September 2023, they "resurfaced" weeks later, presented by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict in a press conference as "rebel returnees."
However, the two deviated from the planned script and accused the military of abducting them, contradicting the government's assertion that they had surrendered voluntarily.
The Supreme Court, however, granted writs of amparo and habeas data, along with a temporary protection order to Tamano and Castro as “there was an established violation to the life, liberty, or security of petitioners.”
A writ of amparo protects individuals whose right to life, liberty, or security is violated or threatened by unlawful acts of public officials, employees or private entities.
A writ of habeas data, on the other hand, protects a person’s right to control information that was illegally obtained. — with reports from Gaea Katreena Cabico