(From left to right) National Union of Journalists of the Philippines’ (NUJP) Dabet Castaneda Panelo, Let’s Organize for Democracy and Integrity’s (LODI) Inday Espina Varona, veteran community journalist Margarita Valle, National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers’ (NUPL) lawyer Kathy Panguban and Altermidya’s Rhea Padilla hold a press briefing Wednesday at Kamuning Bakery Cafe in Quezon City. INQUIRER.net photo / Krissy Aguilar
MANILA, Philippines — The camp of veteran community journalist Margarita Valle is seeking to file arbitrary detention charges against the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) following her arrest that police claimed a mistaken identity.
“We are definitely looking at the possibility of filing arbitrary detention charges laban dito sa PNP-CIDG,” Valle’s legal counsel Atty. Kathy Panguban of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) said Wednesday in a press briefing.
READ: CIDG frees journalist, admitting ‘case of mistaken identity’
Panguban said they are committed to fight for the case of Valle, who was wrongfully arrested Sunday, June 9.
“Lahat ng elemento ng krimen na ‘to ay present doon sa naging karanasan. Kaya definitely hindi natin bibitawan ang laban na ito sa loob at labas ng korte,” Panguban said.
The police earlier said Valle was mistaken as Elsa Renton, who is a subject of a 2006 arrest warrant for arson and a 2011 arrest warrant for multiple murder with quadruple frustrated murder and damage to government property.
Meanwhile, the CIDG earlier admitted they made a mistake after holding Valle close to nine hours in detention.
But Valle’s family asserted the veteran journalist was a “clear target” and her ordeal was an example of the “vicious pattern of state forces attacks against journalists, dissenters and human rights defenders.” (Editor: Jonathan P. Vicente)
READ: Family of arrested journalist: No mistaken identity; she’s a clear target