SC hears habeas petition for ‘Kumander Bilog’

The Supreme Court on Thursday heard the petition for the release of former Communist Party of the Philippines chair Rodolfo Salas, alias “Kumander Bilog,” who faces multiple charges of murder in connection with the discovery of a supposed mass grave in Inopacan, Leyte province, in 2006.

His counsel Arno Sanidad of the Free Legal Assistance Group invoked the so-called Hernandez-Enrile doctrine of the Supreme Court which considers common crimes committed under rebellion as already absorbed by the rebellion charge.

The Supreme Court gave Sanidad and the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) until March 17 to submit their memorandums on Salas’ petition for a writ of habeas corpus.

The OSG had asked the court to deny the petition. —Tonette Orejas