Published May 14, 2021, 1:26 PM
Davao del Norte
Seven persons have been cleared of criminal charges in the alleged kidnapping of 19 Lumad children “to be trained as communist rebel fighters” but were rescued by the Philippine National Police (PNP) at the University of San Carlos Retreat House (USCRH) in Cebu City last Feb. 15.
In a 13-page resolution dated May 5, the Davao del Norte Office of the Provincial Prosecutor dismissed the charges filed by the PNP “for insufficiency of evidence, lack of probable cause, and being outside the territorial jurisdiction of this Office.”
“All told, it appears that there is insufficient evidence to support any of the alleged crimes of Kidnapping and Serious Illegal Detention, Human Trafficking, and Child Abuse committed by respondents Segundo Lagatos Melong, Benito Dalim Bay-ao, Moddie Langayed Mansimoy-at, Esmelito Paumba Oribawan, Chad Errol Booc, Roshelle Mae C. Porcadilla and Jomar Benag,” the resolution stated.
SunStar Bakwit School 7 cleared of charges, released
REUNITED. Six of the Bakwit School 7 detainees find themselves together at the Police Regional Office 7 for medical check-up prior to their release on Friday, May 14, 2021. / CONTRIBUTED
+ May 14, 2021 AFTER almost three months in detention, two teachers, three adult Lumad students and two Lumad elders were set free on Friday, May 14, 2021.
The Davao del Norte Provincial Prosecutor issued a release order as it dismissed the complaints for kidnapping and serious illegal detention, human trafficking and child abuse for lack of evidence and lack of probable cause.
Even if evidence was found against them, the prosecutors said the cases fall outside the jurisdiction of their office as the alleged crimes happened in Cebu City.
Jason Gutierrez/BenarNews
Police in the southern Philippines freed seven tribal leaders, students and teachers on Friday after prosecutors dropped charges against the group who were arrested three months ago for allegedly training children as combatants for communist rebels, their lawyer said.
The seven tribespeople had been charged with kidnapping, human trafficking and other offenses after their arrest during a police raid on Feb. 15 at a makeshift school they had set up at the University of San Carlos, a church-run campus in central Cebu City.
“All told, it appears that there is insufficient evidence to support any of the alleged crimes of kidnapping and serious illegal detention, human trafficking and child abuse,” Davao del Norte provincial prosecutors said in a statement issued May 5.
May 11, 2021 THE University of San Carlos (USC) in Cebu City has proven that it continues to train world-class future lawyers after its moot court team finished among the top four in the 2021 Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition.
The moot team from USC’s School of Law and Governance excelled in simulated arbitration proceedings against 570 teams from nearly 100 countries that competed from across different time zones, with team member Rhomeljustein Redoble listed as one of the top 34 best oralists during the online awarding on April 18, 2021.
Chrisha Romano-Weigel and Edward Dominic Emilio teamed up with Redoble, who were coached by lawyer Daryl Bretch M. Largo and assisted by lawyer Rashid V. Pandi, in competing in what is dubbed as the “World Cup of Mooting.”