We, the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL), Public Interest Law Center (PILC), Sentro Para sa Tunay na Repormang Agraryo (SENTRA), Pro-Labor Legal Assistance Center (PLACE), and NUPL–National Capital Region, condemn the unlawful, deceptive, and intimidating interrogation of youth activists arrested during the People’s SONA.
Of the 51 persons arrested, 42 were released in the early hours of July 28, 2026. Nine remain detained at the Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) in Camp Karingal.
On July 28, following inquest proceedings on complaints filed by the QCPD and Meralco, at least seven of the detainees were taken in groups to a conference room and questioned without their lawyers present. The interrogation was conducted by three unidentified men who introduced themselves as lawyers or paralegals affiliated with the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and NUPL. When asked to present identification, they refused, claiming that their identities were confidential. They proceeded to question the detainees using a document titled “Custodial Debriefing Report,” prominently marked “SECRET” in red.
NUPL categorically confirms that none of these men was its lawyer, paralegal, or authorized representative.
The interrogators sought extensive personal information from the detainees, including details about their families, present and previous addresses, education, employment, hobbies, tattoos, and social media activity. They pressed the detainees about their supposed membership in organizations such as “Vandals United,” “Skateboarders United,” and “Junkie Rebels Crew,” the identities of alleged organizational leaders, and the identities of persons shown in photographs.
The questioning continued despite the detainees’ repeated denials of any affiliation with these organizations. They were asked, “Papano ka napasali sa Vandals United?” and “Papano ka naki-cooperate sa mga grupo na ’yun?” When they denied the accusations, they were told, “Malalaman din naman namin ’yan” and “Bakit ka tatakbo kung ’di ka parte ng mga grupo na mga iyon?”
Most disturbingly, one detainee reported that an interrogator leaned toward him and whispered, “Babatukan na kita,” after he said that he could not identify the supposed leaders being referred to.
This conduct flagrantly violated Article III, Section 12 of the Constitution and Section 2 of Republic Act No. 7438. These provisions guarantee that persons arrested, detained, or placed under custodial investigation have the right to remain silent and to be assisted at all times by competent and independent counsel. These rights cannot be waived except in writing and in the presence of counsel. The reported threat, moreover, is precisely the kind of coercive conduct prohibited by Article III, Section 12(2), which expressly bars threats, intimidation, and other means that vitiate a person’s free will.
The breadth and character of the questions reveal a purpose extending far beyond the offenses alleged at the inquest. Their focus on organizational affiliations, internal structures, and the identities of other individuals points to an effort to profile activists, map their associations, and gather intelligence on organizations engaged in lawful and constitutionally protected activity.
We demand an immediate end to the custodial interrogation and political profiling of activists, and accountability for everyone who ordered, conducted, facilitated, or tolerated these acts.
The PNP must immediately identify the interrogators, disclose the authority under which they acted, and explain how persons falsely claiming affiliation with NUPL gained access to detainees inside a police facility. It must preserve and produce all relevant records of the custodial interrogation and hold everyone responsible to account.
We likewise call on the CHR to conduct an independent investigation into the entire incident—including the denial of counsel, the threats and intimidation, the identity and authority of the interrogators, and the circumstances under which they gained access to the detainees—and to determine whether they were connected with the CHR or falsely invoked its name and authority.
We are putting the PNP on notice: our clients shall not be subjected to any further questioning except in our presence and with our effective assistance as their counsel. We will pursue all available remedies against anyone who attempts otherwise. #
Press Statement
Media Contacts:
Atty. Katherine A. Panguban
National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers
+63 956 673 0301
Atty. Carlos Montemayor Jr.
Public Interest Law Center
+63 906 200 0291
Atty. Zoe Caballero
Sentro Para sa Tunay na Repormang Agraryo
+63 906 427 3981
Atty. Arman Hernando
Pro-Labor Legal Assistance Center
+63 985 939 6547
(Photo credit: Altermidya)
