PRESS STATEMENT
June 27, 2025
The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) condemns the arrest and six-month detention of 81-year-old Prudencio Cebu “Tatay Pruding” Calubid Jr.—a civilian wrongfully and maliciously imprisoned pursuant to a so-called “CTG Most Wanted List,” which was based on the Department of National Defense–Department of the Interior and Local Government (DND-DILG) Joint Orders on Reward.
Today, NUPL, acting as counsel in the habeas corpus case filed by his daughter Analyn Calubid, received the decision of the Sixteenth Division of the Court of Appeals granting the privilege of the writ and ordering his immediate release.
Police officials claimed they had apprehended Prudencio Calubid, an alleged high-ranking officer of the Communist Party of the Philippines–New People’s Army (CPP-NPA). But the real Prudencio Calubid, a peace consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), has been a desaparecido since June 26, 2006, when he, his wife Celina Palma, and companions Gloria Soco and Ariel Beloy were abducted by suspected military agents. Yesterday marked the 19th year since their enforced disappearance.
Tatay Pruding’s case is not one of simple mistaken identity. It is a case of deliberate misidentification, motivated by the perverse incentives of a bounty system, and carried out with gross disregard for the most basic standards of law enforcement, due process, and human dignity.
In its 67-page ruling, the Court of Appeals found that the police failed to exercise even the minimum diligence required to verify whether Calubid Jr. was the same person named in multiple criminal informations and arrest warrants. The Court rejected the so-called “surveillance” conducted by police, which was found to rely largely on open-source internet searches, Facebook photos, and vague physical resemblance—while ignoring the verifiable, official documents presented by Calubid Jr., including his government-issued IDs and employment records. In stark contrast, the Court recognized the “overwhelming” public and private records he submitted, attesting to his distinct identity and “publicly verifiable life.”
The context of the arrest reveals a deeper problem. A ₱7.8 million reward was offered for the real Prudencio Calubid’s capture. In such a system, law enforcement agencies, including the PNP, CIDG, and entities under the NTF-ELCAC, are incentivized not to uphold justice, but to deliver “results” that align with operational quotas and reward mechanisms. Innocent civilians, especially the poor, become expendable. Bounty-hunting has replaced due process, with public funds being used to underwrite such abuses.
The Court of Appeals drew a parallel to the case of security guard Rolly Panesa, who was similarly arrested, detained, and tortured based on unfounded allegations under the same bounty system. That it has happened again reflects a systemic and dangerous pattern. As the Court sternly warned:
“This case does not exist in a vacuum… it sends the wrong message to the public that those tasked to serve and protect the people… are their very reason to fear injustice, and that fundamental rights may be easily overlooked for convenience, carelessness, or, possibly, personal and selfish gains. If not prevented, this conduct would erode people’s faith not only in our law enforcement agencies but in the government as a whole. The respondents ought to be reminded that the rule of law demands unwavering commitment to justice, and the principle of fairness compels institutions to be held to the highest standards of accountability and integrity.”
At present, the filing of countercharges is seriously being considered against those responsible. The law cannot allow six months of unlawful incarceration and the irreparable harm it caused to pass without consequence. It cannot be business as usual. State forces and agencies, particularly those that enabled, carried out, or benefited from these egregious violations of human rights, must be held accountable. ###
References:
Atty. Katherine A. Panguban
Atty. Julianne B. Agpalo
Atty. Maria Sol G. Taule
+639178870776
