Court acquits 2 more activists arrested in 2019 'crackdown'

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This photo taken in May 2021 shows leaders and members of progressive groups and activists' kin filing a report before the Supreme Court detailing incidents where they said the rule of law has been weaponized against them.

JUCRA pool photo

 

MANILA, Philippines — A Manila court has acquitted Michael Bartolome and Cora Agovida, two activists arrested in late 2019 in a series of government raids on progressive groups, of charges of illegal possession of firearms and of explosives.

 

Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 19 Presiding Judge Marlo Magdoza-Malagar cleared Agovida of women's group Gabriela and Bartolome of urban poor advocacy group Kadamay over the "failure of the prosecution to prove their guilt beyond reasonable doubt."

 

The court said in a November 24 ruling that "the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt Bartolome’s and Agovida’s ownership and possession of the firearms, ammunitions and explosives and their lack of license to own or possess them."

 

Full Story: https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/11/24/2143516/court-acquits-2-more-activists-arrested-2019-crackdown

 

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