Court junks case vs 1 of ‘Human Rights 7’

MANILA, Philippines — A Quezon City court has dismissed the complaint for illegal possession of firearms filed by police against Dennise Velasco, who was among the seven persons arrested during Human Rights Day in 2020.

Judge Jose Paneda of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 220 ordered Velasco’s release from the Metro Manila District Jail annex male dormitory at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig.

The court quashed the search warrant issued against Velasco on March 2 for lack of probable cause to support the charges filed against him.

Paneda said the search warrant was void because it was issued without compliance to constitutional and legal procedures, making the evidence seized from Velasco’s house inadmissible in court.

Velasco was arrested by operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in December 2020 for alleged possession of firearms and explosives.

He is the third among the “Human Rights 7” to walk free after editor Lady Salem and labor organizer Rodrigo Esparago.

Aside from them, Mark Ryan Cruz, Romina Raiselle Astudillo, Jaymie Gregorio and Joel Demate were also arrested by police.

Police claimed to have confiscated several handguns and ammunition from the suspects. But Salem claimed the firearms were planted by the CIDG.