Lady Ann Salem, trade unionist released from jail

Manila Today editor Lady Ann Salem and trade unionist Rodrigo Esparago were released from detention on Friday afternoon, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) said.

The NUJP posted on Twitter photos of Salem and Esparago facing the media after their release from the Mandaluyong City Jail.

[Statement] Welcome back Icy!

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines welcomes back our member and colleague, Manila Today editor Lady Ann "Icy" Salem, pic.twitter.com/QbKKDCVJgS

— NUJP (@nujp) March 5, 2021

Earlier, Judge Monique Quisumbing-Ignacio of the Mandaluyong Regional Trial Court Branch 209 issued the release order after granting the motions filed by the lawyers of Salem and Esparago and junking the prosecution’s opposition.

Salem and Esparago were among those arrested in a series of raids which reportedly yielded loose firearms last December 10.

Last month, the court ruled that there was no probable cause to issue the search warrants that became the basis for the raids.—LDF, GMA News