MANILA — Seven students who held a lightning rally before President Benigno Aquino III on Jose Rizal’s 150th birth anniversary were released by the police on Tuesday after posting P12,000 bail.
Collectively known as the Calamba 7, the group includes Kabataan Partylist-UP Los Baños members Michael Jayson Mozo, Catherine Gigantone, Ruffa Solano, Ynik Ante and Bhen Aguihon and Anakpawis-Southern Tagalog members Joefrey Barreto and Rodel Badayos.
The charges of public disturbance and tumult filed against them, however, were not dropped by the court.
“Unless the case is dropped, justice is not served to the Calamba 7,” John Paolo Bautista, Kabataan Partylist-ST coordinator, said, adding that the activists were just exercising their right to free speech.
Members of the Presidential Security Group and the Calamba police arrested the activists after the militant youth group began chanting calls such as “Walang pagbabago sa ilalim ni Aquino!” midway through President Aquino’s speech.
Bautista said the bail money was produced after getting support from fellow students from UP Los Baños, UP Diliman and other progressive organizations.
Meanwhile, the group said it will launch a series of mobilizations as part of the youth’s countdown to President Aquino’s second State of the Nation Address (Sona) on July 25. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)