Groups welcome NDF consultant Baylosis' release

Peace consultant Rafael Baylosis finally released from jail this afternoon (January 18, 2019). See link: https://t.co/0Gipy18b7J pic.twitter.com/QtZnVymySk

— karapatan.org (@karapatan) January 18, 2019

National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) consultant Rafael Baylosis was released on Friday, a few days after a Quezon City court dismissed the charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives that were filed against him last year.

"The dismissal of the ludicrous trumped-up charges against Baylosis is a peek into what other NDFP consultants and hundreds of other political prisoners are going through," NDFP legal counsel Edre Olalia said in a statement.

"State agents demonize them, brazen plant evidence or manufacture fantastic narratives, and lock them in jail, hoping to throw the keys as long as possible. But for the more fortunate ones like Raffy, the sheer incredulity of the contrived charges, coupled with diligent people’s lawyers efforts and a strong political campaign, and capped by a decent and independent judge, have cut short the undue deprivation of his liberty," he added.

A Quezon City court has dismissed charges against Baylosis for illegal possession of firearms and explosives.

This came after the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 100 granted the demurrer to evidence filed by Baylosis and his co-accused, Roque Guillermo, according to a decision issued Tuesday.

A demurrer to evidence is a pleading filed by the defense that assails the sufficiency of the prosecution’s evidence.

Baylosis was the first NDFP consultant arrested after President Rodrigo Duterte tagged the Communist Party of the Philippines and New People's Army as terrorist organizations, both of which are part of the NDFP.

Karapatan or Alliance for the Advancement of People's Rights - Philippines said that Baylosis' freedom was also considered a victory for human rights.

“The release of Baylosis is a victory, but hundreds more remain languishing in jails across the country. Along with the kin of political prisoners, other human rights advocates and human rights lawyers, we will continue to work for the dismissal of charges against trumped-up charges against political prisoners," said Karapatan Secretary General Tinay Palabay.

"Through trumped-up charges, perjured testimonies and planted evidence, hundreds of innocents who have worked alongside the marginalized were also targeted and jailed," she added.

Karapatan reiterated their stance that the Duterte administration should resume the peace negotiations with the Communist Party of the Philippines, CPP-NDFP, and subsequently release all political prisoners in line with its obligation under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) and Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG).

“If the Duterte government respected previously signed peace agreements...and did not go to extreme lengths to fabricate charges against those working for just and lasting peace, Baylosis would not have been arrested in the first place,” Palabay said. — Margaret Claire Layug/BAP, GMA News