The Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 206 in Muntinlupa City has ordered the release of San Simon Mayor Abundio “JP” Punsalan and six others from detention.
In a decision dated September 2, 2025, Presiding Judge Desiree Gertrude Orquila-Mordez granted the petition for habeas corpus filed by Lawyer Raymond Fluellin Viray on behalf of Punsalan.
Punsalan and his group were arrested during an entrapment operation conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Clark Freeport on August 6, 2025.
The mayor was accused of accepting bribe money from a steel manufacturing company operating in the town.
Punsalan and his aide Ed Ryan “Doc Yang” Dimla faced complaints of robbery by extortion and graft, while five of Punsalan’s security detail were accused of illegal possession of firearms.
The court ruled, however, that their continued detention was unlawful, citing the lapse of the 36-hour period under Article 125 of the Revised Penal Code without the filing of formal charges in court.
“The lapse of the mandatory 36-hour period without the filing of charges in court or the issuance of a judicial order renders their continued confinement unlawful,” the ruling stated.
The court directed the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to release Punsalan, Dimla, and the mayor’s security team.
The order, which was declared immediately executory, said that detention sans charges filed in court violates constitutional rights.