Human rights alliance Karapatan welcomed the granting of bail to Reina Mae Nasino, Ram Carlo Bautista, and Alma Moran, collectively known as the Tondo 3, but urged the court to reduce the amount, saying the bail required is excessive.
In an order dated December 12, 2022, Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 47 Judge Paulino Gallegos granted Nasino and her two co-accused’s motion to post bail, citing the prosecution’s failure to prove that evidence of guilt is strong, but required them to pay a total of P1.41 million for their temporary liberty.
Human rights alliance Karapatan welcomed the granting of bail to Reina Mae Nasino, Ram Carlo Bautista, and Alma Moran, collectively known as the Tondo 3, but urged the court to reduce the amount, saying the bail required is excessive.
In an order dated December 12, 2022, Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 47 Judge Paulino Gallegos granted Nasino and her two co-accused’s motion to post bail, citing the prosecution’s failure to prove that evidence of guilt is strong, but required them to pay a total of P1.41 million for their temporary liberty.
“Reina Mae, Ram and Alma are innocent, and yet they are being made to go through so many legal wringers to get out of jail,” said Karapatan secretary-general Cristina Palabay.
Nasino, Bautista and Moran were arrested in November 2019 on the basis of a spurious warrant, perjured testimonies and planted evidence, she said.
“The warrant, issued by the notorious ‘search warrant factory’ Judge Cecilyn Burgos-Villavert has since been nullified by the Court of Appeals in a decision last September, but a pending motion for reconsideration filed by the Office of the Solicitor General has kept the Tondo 3 behind bars.”
“Their lawyers filed a motion for bail in an effort to secure their early release, but the humongous amount being demanded by the court is tantamount to depriving them of the liberty they deserve,” decried Palabay.
“The appellate court has ruled that evidence against them is non-existent, and the RTC itself has admitted that the evidence against them is flimsy at best,” said Palabay. “Add to this the fact that Reina Mae, Ram and Alma come from working class backgrounds and can ill-afford the excessive bail being demanded by the court.”
“In the interest of justice, we urge the court to reduce the Tondo 3’s bail considerably and allow them to spend Christmas with their families,” said Palabay. #