THE two intelligence officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) who were allegedly tailing some members of the National Union of Peoples' Lawyers (NUPL) in Sipalay City on November 17 were released from detention Monday, November 19, after they posted bail.
Chief Inspector Clifford Batadhay, deputy chief of Sipalay City Police Station, confirmed that Rodolfo Aleman Jr., 40, of Bacolod City; and Makoy Vellahermosa, 26, of Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental were released from police custody around Monday noon.
Batadhay said the two members of the AFP posted a bail of P3, 500 each for the grave threat charges filed against them by lawyer Teopisto Melliza, who was in the convoy of NUPL, and some members of progressive organizations from Bacolod City to the wake of slain human rights lawyer Benjamin Ramos Jr. in Sipalay City over the weekend.
The two military officers were detained at the police station after they were initially accused by Melliza of unjust vexation when they were seen tailing their van until they reached the gymnasium, where the public viewing for Ramos was held, a day before his interment.
Read: 2 army intel officers nabbed for ‘tailing’ NUPL officers
The legal team of the Philippine Army went to the police station Monday to provide legal assistance to Aleman and Vellahermosa.
Colonel Benedict Arevalo, commanding officer of the 303rd Infantry Brigade, earlier clarified that the two military officers were tasked to provide security coverage and monitoring to prevent any violent incident that might happen during the wake of Ramos, who was laid to rest in Sipalay City Sunday, November 18. (GYM)