‘Tagaytay 5′ Freed, ‘Trumped-Up’ Charges Dropped

Dismissal of trumped-up charges and release of Tagaytay 5, a victory for human rights – KARAPATAN

The human rights alliance KARAPATAN expressed elation over the release of Tagaytay 5 and the dismissal of the trumped-up rebellion raps filed against them.

“The dismissal of trumped-up charges and release of Tagaytay 5 is a victory for human rights,” said Ruth Cervantes, KARAPATAN Public Information Officer.

Aris Sarmiento, Axel Pinpin, Riel Custodio, Michael Masayes and Rico Ybañez, collectively known as the Tagaytay 5 were released from prison at 4PM today, August 28 (Thursday).

Cervantes said of the decision to dismiss the case and free the five, “The stroke of the judge’s pen is a vindication of our conviction that those who work for a better society must not be criminalized and must be set free.”

“We congratulate those who have worked for the freedom of Tagaytay 5 and those who continue to fight the Arroyo regime’s sinister moves to foist false cases against social activists who fight for people’s rights,” Cervantes said.

KARAPATAN welcomes Tagaytay 5 to their new-found freedom and urged them to file criminal charges against state security forces that abducted them, kept them incommunicado and detained them despite their innocence.

“Human rights violations continue to be committed under this regime and it is justified to fight back and combat impunity,” Cervantes said.

KARAPATAN also reiterated their call to implement UN Special Rapporteur Philip Alston’s recommendations to abolish the Inter-Agency Legal Action Group (IALAG) that is orchestrating the fabrication of criminal charges against activists and critics of the Arroyo regime.###