MANILA, Philippines — Former Anakpawis Representative Ariel Casilao and six relief workers are “not yet off the hook” even after the Norzagaray Municipal Trial Court in Bulacan junked a criminal charge filed against them, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said Thursday.
In a statement, Interior Undersecretary and spokesman Jonathan Malaya said “Casilao and his companions would still be facing other criminal charges from the Department of Justice (DOJ), therefore they are still not off the hook.”
“It was clear that Casilao and his group committed criminal offenses when they conducted an unauthorized trip outside of Metro Manila and conducted a mass gathering during ECQ. One case against them may have been dismissed but it is certain that they have not been absolved from other criminal liabilities. Magpapatuloy po ang pagdinig sa iba pa nilang mga kaso,” he added.
To recall, the DILG filed criminal complaints against Casilao and six other members of the leftist group for allegedly organizing a mass gathering while distributing relief goods in Norzagaray, Bulacan in April when the enhanced community quarantine took effect.
Judge Julie Rita Suarez-Badillo of the Norzagaray Municipal Trial Court dismissed the charge for “non-cooperation” which is a violation of Section 9 (d) of Republic Act No. 11332 or law on the mandatory reporting of notifiable diseases, saying the “alleged facts do not constitute an offense.“