Directors’ guild pushes arrested filmmaker’s release

MANILA, Philippines — The Directors Guild of the Philippines Inc. (DGPI) has called for the immediate release of filmmaker Jade Castro (“Endo,” “Zombadings”) following his arrest in Quezon province over suspected arson.

In an earlier report, four people allegedly torched a modern jeep in Catanauan, Quezon last Wednesday.

Lt. Gen. Rhoderick Armamento, Area Police Command Southern Luzon director, said Castro, sales manager Ernesto Orcine and civil engineers Noel Mariano and Dominic Ramos were apprehended at a resort in Barangay Butanyong in Mulanay town on Feb. 1 following the incident.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Castro said, “We are innocent! My friends and I were just having a vacation in Mulanay, Quezon but we were arrested following a crime that happened in Catanauan.”

“Guys sorry I can't reply, cell phone is not allowed. Yes, it is a warrantless arrest, arson,” he added.

In a statement released on Feb. 3, the guild said Castro “is a vetted DGPI member and an important voice of the Philippine Independent Cinema.”

“We stand by his innocence and testify to his good character. We urge clarity on the matter from the authorities involved, and the immediate release of Jade Castro from detention,” it added.

Meanwhile, the Sama-samang Artista para sa Kilusang Agraryo (SAKA), an alliance of artists advocating for agrarian reform, expressed concern over Castro’s arrest.

In a statement issued yesterday, the group claimed that the arrest coincided with the exit statement of UN Special Rapporteur for freedom of opinion and expression Irene Khan.

SAKA said its members are particularly alarmed by the circumstances surrounding the arrest, linking the arson charge against Castro to opposition to the government’s jeepney modernization program.

“Public clamor to junk the government’s fake jeepney modernization program has been growing, rightfully so, and the incident sets the stage for the further demonization of its critics,” they said.

The group also claimed Quezon province has witnessed an increase in militarization, raising concerns that the “baseless accusations” against Castro could lead to red-tagging.

The tactic, they said, involves unfounded arrests, judicial harassment and other measures designed for counterinsurgency, potentially escalating to extrajudicial actions.

SAKA urged the public to remain vigilant against potential threats to the filmmaker, extend support to progressive artists taking a stand against systemic abuses, and to demand the immediate release of Castro from what they describe as “illegal police custody.” — Mark Ernest Villeza