The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) condemns the brazen double standard of a justice system that affords maximum leniency to the political elite while operating with merciless rigidity against human rights defenders. This glaring hypocrisy is freshly exposed by the provisional liberty granted to former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., contrasted against the protracted detention of community journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio and human rights worker Marielle Domequil.

Revilla secured bail after the Sandiganbayan found that the evidence of his guilt was “not strong” in the malversation case involving an alleged P92.8-million ghost flood-control project in Pandi, Bulacan. The ruling was not unanimous. In his dissent, Justice Karl Miranda viewed Revilla’s alleged role as project proponent as an indispensable part of a common criminal design. He questioned the release of the alleged political principal while subordinate co-accused remain detained, despite the absence of proof that they personally benefited from the scheme.

Cumpio and Domequil, by contrast, have remained in detention since February 2020. They were acquitted of the illegal possession of firearms and explosives charges that anchored their initial arrests. In a related proceeding, the Court of Appeals reversed the forfeiture of the funds seized from them, finding no sufficient connection between the money and terrorism financing. While subsequently convicted of the latter charge, they are currently challenging both the conviction and the denial of their bail pending appeal.

The NUPL does not oppose bail as a safeguard of liberty; every accused person, Revilla included, is entitled to have the evidence against them tested according to law. We also recognize that the procedural frameworks governing these cases differ: Revilla sought bail before conviction, where the prosecution bears the burden of showing that the evidence of guilt is strong, while Cumpio and Domequil seek bail pending appeal, governed by a stricter standard under Rule 114

Yet, this procedural distinction does not erase the profound material inequality shaping these outcomes. Revilla confronts prosecution armed with the wealth, resources, and institutional access of a former senator and political dynasty. Cumpio and Domequil are compelled to defend themselves from within a jail cell, enduring years of stigmatization and forced separation from their families and communities.

Rights may be equal in the statutes, but the means of vindicating them are vastly unequal. The politically powerful can mobilize the resources necessary to exploit every weakness in the prosecution’s case. Those targeted by state-sponsored red-tagging are forced to bear the heavy burden of mounting their defense while deprived of their liberty.

The answer to this disparity is a legal system where the protection of liberty remains meaningful for those who do not enjoy political and economic patronage. The safeguards of the law fail when they are most accessible to those who wield authority, and nearly impossible to invoke for those targeted by it.

The NUPL reiterates its urgent call for the provisional liberty of Frenchie Mae Cumpio and Marielle Domequil, consistent with law and subject to such conditions as the courts may deem appropriate.

Justice must be measured not only by the rights written in law, but by whether those rights serve the marginalized as effectively as they protect the powerful. ###

Press Statement

Photo credit: Altermidya

Photo taken during the filing of Frenchie and Marielle’s Appellant’s Brief at the Court of Appeals Cebu Station last 3 August 2026