The Philippine Army’s 302nd Infantry Brigade in Negros Oriental respects the court’s decision to set free six youth activists who were incarcerated for seven years for alleged illegal possession of firearms and explosives.

“We always abide by the rule of law and we respect the decision of the court in the case of the Mabinay 6,” Brigadier General Jason Jumawan, 302nd brigade commander, said in an interview with the Philippine News Agency yesterday.

Those freed were identified by the military as members of the communist New People’s Army (NPA).

They were arrested in 2018 during an encounter with troops of the 62nd Infantry Battalion in Mabinay town.

Government troops recovered during the encounter high-powered firearms and explosives, purportedly from the six, who denied the allegations against them.

Judge Marie Rose Inocando of the Regional Trial Court, Branch 42, ruled that the prosecutors failed to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt and that the police handled the evidence poorly.

Jumawan said the acquittal provided a valuable lesson for both the military and the police in improving their legal procedures.

“We take this as a sign that we should improve when it comes to legalities during combat operations,” he said.

The brigade commander hopes that young individuals learn a lesson from the Mabinay 6 experience, saying that seven years spent in jail meant several lost opportunities. (PNA)