On September 22, 2025, thirteen lawyers from the National Union of Peoples Lawyers (NUPL), Public Interest Law Center (PILC), Sentro para sa Tunay na Repromang Agraryo (SENTRA), and Pro Labor Assistance Center (PLACE) jointly responded to the ongoing detention of individuals arrested during the September 21 mobilizations.
Our team conducted visits at the Manila Police District Headquarters and several police stations, including Police Station 3 in Sta. Cruz; Police Station 7, Abad Santos; Police Station 10, Pandacan; Police Station 11, Divisoria; Police Station 12, Delpan; Police Station 4, Sampaloc; and Police Station 13, Baseco.
The following grave circumstances were documented during our visits:
• There were at least 216 individuals arrested including 91 minors, the youngest only nine (9) years old.
• The vast majority of those detained had no organizational affiliations. Most came from poor backgrounds, and some joined the protests out of indignation over rampant corruption.
• Many were peaceful participants or mere bystanders. They consistently and categorically denied inflicting any violence or damage to property. Numerous accounts confirmed that individuals were simply fleeing for safety when they were apprehended. Disturbingly, even a thirteen year old child was arrested on the pretext of a curfew violation and remains in detention.
• Physical abuse and torture were widespread and systematic. One individual underwent surgery for a fractured jaw at Jose Reyes Memorial Hospital, while several others displayed clear signs of injury. Even children and minors were not spared, with several bearing bruises on their faces and bodies.
• At the police tent in Mendiola and the MPD facility, several detainees were forced to physically assault or restrain each other.
• Families were pressured by police to coerce their children to admit to crimes they did not commit.
• On September 22, families waiting outside the MPD were denied visitation rights. Many were turned away and denied information as to the status of their missing family members.
• Detainees were provided no food by the police, except for a few light snacks like biscuits. Drinking water was scarce. Most survived only through food delivered by relatives.
• Reports persist of individuals who remain missing after the September 21 mobilizations.
These grave violations of the Constitution, including unlawful arrest, physical abuse, and torture, are reprehensible and unacceptable.
It is undeniable that many of those detained were arrested without legal basis. The police targeted them solely on the basis of their appearance and presence in the vicinity, even when they were not engaged in any criminal act. Such warrantless arrests cannot be justified under any lawful exception, rendering the September 21 police operations unconstitutional.
Contrary to the mandate of maximum tolerance, the police employed excessive force. They deployed operatives in plainclothes and even enlisted civilians to inflict harm against protestors and bystanders. The brutality did not end upon arrest, as violence persisted inside detention facilities, where detainees were subjected to torture and cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment.
We strongly condemn the appalling conduct of the police. Their actions constitute not only grave violations of law but also direct affronts to the most basic principles of human rights and dignity.
As human rights lawyers, we stand with the victims and their families. We are prepared to pursue all available remedies against the police officers and officials responsible. We will also exhaust all possible avenues to ensure full accountability for these grave abuses. ###
References:
Atty. Julianne Agpalo, NUPL
+639178870776
Atty. Mark Lim, PILC
+639368012145
Atty. Zoe Caballero, SENTRA
+639763021682
Atty. Vicente Jaime Topacio, PLACE
+639988663657
