ILOILO CITY, Philippines – After five years in detention, three farmers here, accused of firearms possession, murder, and assault, were finally able to post bail and gain temporary liberty recently.
On November 25, the Regional Trial Court Sixth Judicial Region Branch 72 in Guimbal, Iloilo, ordered the release of the so-called “Mulangan 3”: Roberto Elamparo, Ruperto Enar, and Ramon Enar. They posted bail of P100,000 each.
The farmers, from Barangay Mulangan, Igbaras, Iloilo, were arrested in March 2019 under allegations of illegal possession of firearms and explosives, as well as multiple attempted murder and direct assault.
Their arrest followed an encounter in Barangay Mulangan between the Philippine Army’s 61st Infantry Battalion (61IB) and suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA). The 61IB said nine improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were recovered from Ruperto’s residence.
However, the farmers alleged that they were coerced by 61IB to carry the boxes containing IEDs and were subsequently accused of being NPA members after photographs were taken of them with these boxes.
The court approved the farmers’ petition for bail on October 22, 2024, citing that “certain discrepancies have been noted especially if the open-court testimonies are compared to the prosecution’s resolution” and witnesses’ statements.
Presiding Judge Nelita Bacaling pointed out that these inconsistencies “throw shades of doubt to the mind of the court on the guilt of the accused,” thereby diminishing the weight of the prosecution’s evidence.
The next hearing for their case is scheduled for February 5, 2025.
Human rights group Panay Alliance Karapatan said the five-year ordeal of the farmers is an “unjust incarceration,” citing that they were arrested by government soldiers on trumped-up charges.
The group emphasized the personal and health struggles endured by the detainees during their imprisonment. For instance, Ruperto was unable to attend his son’s funeral while in detention, and Roberto suffers from hearing loss without access to a hearing aid.
“Throughout their ordeal, the Mulangan 3 remained steadfast. Pressure from the government and offers of amnesty did not deter them from pressing on to prove their innocence,” the group said.
“This bittersweet victory reminds us of the long road to justice…. Justice delayed is justice denied, but their resilience inspires us to keep pushing forward,” the group added. – Rappler.com
Rjay Zuriaga Castor is a community journalist and a reporter for the Iloilo-based newspaper Daily Guardian. He is also an Aries Rufo Journalism Fellow at Rappler for 2024.