CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro — Human rights groups and the family of Rowena Dasig have raised concern on the whereabouts of the environmental activist who was allegedly released from detention at the Lucena City District Jail on Aug. 22, 2024.
Paul Tagle, paralegal of human rights groups Tanggol Quezon and Karapatan-Southern Tagalog (Alliance for the Protection of Human Rights), said on Monday that on August 20, the petition for demurrer to evidence filed by the lawyers of Dasig were granted by the Gumaca Regional Trial Court Branch 172.
This should have paved the way for the release of the environmental activist.
"We went to the Lucena City District Jail on August 21 and prepared the necessary documents for the release but we were given the run around by jail officials claiming that they are still verifying from the RTC the order of the release and we were told to return the following day," Tagle said in the telephone interview.
Tagle added that they returned the following day at around 6 a.m. and was told by jail officials that they are processing the release of Dasig.
A paralegal of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) identified as Almira Alfuerte appeared and told them that Dasig was already released at around 7:30 a.m.
"We were at the jail compound earlier than the claim of the BJMP paralegal and the jail warden Ellaine Toledo but we did not see Owen (Rowena) Dasig coming out of the jail facility. We went back to the facility the following day but the officials did not entertain our queries," Tagle said.
Dasig and Miguela Piniero were arrested on July 12, 2023 by elements of the 85th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army and were charged with illegal possession of firearms, ammunition and explosives.
The two environmentalists claimed that they were conducting research on the environmental and community impacts of the Atimonan One Energy Inc.'s proposed combined cycle gas turbine power plant and liquefied natural gas terminal in Atimonan, Quezon.
"As of now, we and the family of Owen are at a loss on her whereabouts. The lawyers from La Vina, Zarate and Associates are still studying the matter. They might file a writ of habeas corpus and other legal remedies to compel the jail authorities and the police and military to surface (Rowena) Dasig," Tagle said.
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