Court clears, orders release of Bloody Sunday ‘activist’

MANILA, Philippines — A local court in Batangas has dismissed the charges filed against an alleged activist who was arrested in connection with the “Bloody Sunday” incident in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) that left nine persons dead eight months ago.

Judge Jose Ricuerdo Flores of the Batangas Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 6 ordered the immediate release from detention of Erlindo Custodio.

In the order, Flores said the search conducted on the house of Custodio was illegal.

Flores said the warrant, which was issued by the Manila RTC Branch 174, failed to specifically identify the place to be searched.

Custodio was arrested and charged after the police reportedly recovered firearms and explosives from his house in Santo Tomas, Batangas.

The search and arrest were conducted after police launched simultaneous raids in Calabarzon on March 7 that resulted in the deaths of nine suspected activists.