AFTER seven years behind bars, the “Mabinay 6” activists walked free on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025, after the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 42 in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental acquitted them of all criminal charges.
The case stemmed from their arrest on March 3, 2018, in Barangay Luyang, Mabinay. They were accused of illegal possession of firearms and explosives.
The group includes Myles Albasin, a journalist and mass communication graduate of the University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu; Randel Hermino, a native of Negros Oriental from a family of sugarcane workers; Carlo Ybañes, who grew up in an urban poor community in Cebu; and peasant youth Joemar Indico, Joey Vailoces and Bernard Guillen.
The Army’s 62nd Infantry Battalion accused them of illegally possessing high-powered firearms after what the military described as a 45-minute encounter.
The acquittals followed a trial marked by conflicting claims and evidence. A key piece of evidence was the paraffin test conducted by the Negros Oriental Provincial Crime Laboratory, which revealed that all of the accused tested negative for powder burns.
Police had reported seizing four M-16 assault rifles with M-203 grenade launcher and two M-4 rifles during the arrest. The negative test results, however, countered the military’s claim of an armed encounter.
Lt. Col. Darrel Bañez, commander of the 62nd Infantry Battalion, previously rejected allegations that the firearms were planted. He cited the recovery of an M4 Ghostbuster rifle, which he described as an expensive weapon, as proof the items were genuine.
Throughout their detention, the “Mabinay 6” received support from students, professors and human rights groups. The academic community, including students from UP Cebu, organized protests and highlighted the group’s community development work. The activists also received continuous legal aid and support from their families. / CDF