‘Cebu 8’ lawyers to pursue countercharges vs arresting cops

In this screen capture of a video shared with CDN Digital, police arrest some of the protesters in front the UP Cebu campus on June 5, 2020.

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The legal counsel of the “Cebu 8” are determined to pursue countercharges against the police officers involved in the arrest of the seven protesters and a bystander during an Anti-Terror Bill rally outside the University of Philippines Cebu (UP Cebu) campus here last June 5, 2020.

In an official statement released this Wednesday, June 9, or two days since the group was released from detention,  the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) Cebu and the collaborating lawyers representing “Cebu 8” said they have agreed to press countercharges against the police officers involved in the said arrest.

Read: Police arrest protesters in Cebu City for violating GCQ guidelines

“Details as the specific charges will be disclosed in due time,” King Anthony Perez, the legal team’s spokesperson said.

The lawyers also said they welcome the initiative of the Commission on Human Rights in Central Visayas (CHR-7) to conduct its own investigation on the incident.

Perez said the legal team is looking forward to coordinating with the CHR in the filing of countercharges.

The Cebu 8 includes seven members of cause-oriented groups namely, Jaime Paglinawan, Joahanna Veloso, Al Ingking, Bern Cañedo, Nar Porlas, and Janry Ubal Bombs Cebu.

READ: Cebu 8 released from detention

They were arrested after staging a protest in front of the UP Cebu campus in Barangay Lahug against the passage of the controversial Anti-Terror Bill, which critics view as a threat to human rights.

Screenshot of a contributed video during the ATB rally in front of UP Cebu on June 5

The eighth member of the Cebu 8, who stayed some 72 hours under police custody, is 19-year-old Clement Corominas, who claimed that he was only a bystander and did not participate in the protest. Corominas captured a viral video of the arrest of Gumanao.

Aside from the countercharges against the arresting cops, Perez said the members of the legal team are now working on the counter-affidavits for the cases that the police filed against the protesters.

Read: Police ready charges against 7 arrested protesters

The cases filed by the police against Cebu 8 include violations of Section 13 of the Public Assembly Act of 1985 (B.P. 880); Section 9 (e) of the Law on Reporting of Communicable Diseases (R.A. No. 11332), and simple resistance and disobedience to an agent of a person in authority under Article 151 paragraph 2 of the Revised Penal Code.

The group was released from detention past 6 p.m. on Monday, June 8., without the need to post bail. /bmjo