The Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 42 in Dumaguete City acquitted a student leader and five of her co-accused, dubbed the “Mabinay 6,” on Monday, September 22, 2025 after seven years of imprisonment.

The six were arrested on March 3, 2018 in Barangay Luyang, Mabinay town, Province of Negros Oriental after an alleged encounter and confiscation of high-powered firearms, ammunitions, and explosives.

Atty. Kristian Jacob Lora, one of the legal counsels of the “Mabinay 6,” said there was not enough evidence to prove of an armed encounter between state troops and his clients consisting of youth leader Myles Albasin and five male co-accused, and that neither was there a seizure of firearms, ammunitions, and explosives.

The five male co-accused are Jomar Indico, Carlo Ybañes, Randel Hermino, Joey Vailoces, and Bernard Guillen.

“After 7 years, we have finally brought #Mabinay6 home! Jailed by Duterte Admin in 2018, our clients (5 boys) along with Myles Albasin were acquitted yesterday [September 22, 2025] of the charges of illegal possession of firearms and ammunitions and illegal possession of explosives (non-bailable),” Lora said.

Lora shared his post with GMA Regional TV News on September 23, 2025, citing that the acquittal is “essentially reconsidering the grounds raised in a Demurrer to Evidence that the Court previously denied.”

“The Court, this time, has ruled that there was no proof of an armed encounter, and that there was no proper handling of evidence,” Lora underscored.

“The marking of items was done at the police station and not at the place of arrest. No photographs were taken at the place of arrest. Even the police blotter did not reflect the markings allegedly made on the subject items. In the words of the Court, no amount of the Prosecution's positive identification of the items in court can assure the Court that these are the exact items allegedly seized from each of the Accused, respectively, at the place of the arrest assuming there were,” Lora said, citing part of the decision of the court.

“Thus, it was hard for the Court to simply ignore the “numerous loopholes” in the evidence for the Prosecution as these make the Prosecution's version of the incident doubtful. Accordingly, our clients have not been found guilty beyond reasonable doubt,” he added.

Further, Lora acknowledged previous lawyers he had the opportunity to work with on the cases: Atty. Ian Sapayan, Atty. Ian Manticajon, Atty. Neil Melton Relampagos, and Atty. King Anthony Perez, all from the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers - Cebu. Meanwhile, Albasin's lawyers include Atty. Antonio La Viña, Atty. Jayvy Gamboa, Atty. Karlos Zarate, Atty. Teddy Rigoroso, and Atty. Artemio Calumpong.

“It took a Duterte and his police and military to jail the Mabinay 6 on hollow charges while it took the entire community to secure their release. Now, our clients are home while their jailer is in jail far away from home as his supporters keep on crying #BringHimHome. Another poetic justice, indeed!” Lora said further.