MANILA—The Court of Appeals has junked Wednesday the petition for a writ of habeas corpus filed for the camp of the so-called “Morong 43,” a television report said.
Ruling with a vote of 3-2 the CA said that relatives of the 43 could no longer avail of the privilege of the writ due to the criminal charges already filed against the health workers.
The Morong 43 were earlier arrested by security forces in Morong, Rizal while on a bomb-making training, and were transported to the Morong regional trial court from their detention cell in Camp Capinpin, police officials said.
The 43 are charged with illegal possession of explosives and firearms before the court after yielding such materials during the February 6 raid at a farmhouse in Morong town.
"Once a person detained is duly charged in court, he may no longer question his detention through a petition for issuance of a writ of habeas corpus," the appellate court's Special Division stated in a 20-page resolution.
Meanwhile, the 43 suspects, through their lead legal counsel Lawyer Romeo Capulong in a television interview, said they will elevate their appeal to the Supreme Court. (Sunnex)