‘Longest-held political prisoner’ now home
Juanito Itaas was sentenced to 39 yrs and 6 months of imprisonment when he was 25 decades aged. (INQUIRER.internet file image)
MANILA, Philippines — Juanito Itaas, reported to be the “longest-held political prisoner” in the nation, has at last been sent house right after 32 yrs in jail.
The 57-12 months-old Itaas was released on Friday from the New Bilibid Jail, according to Kapatid, a guidance group for political prisoners’ friends and family members.
Decide Gener Gito of the Muntinlupa Regional Demo Court docket granted in a ruling dated Nov. 8, 2021, the petition for habeas corpus filed by Itaas’ daughter Jarel.
Gito claimed Itaas was “entitled to be credited the equivalent times of the GCTA credits earned by him.”
GCTA stands for good carry out time allowance.
“We commend the decision of the courtroom and we hope this will presage far more releases of political prisoners who are foisted with trumped-up costs in retaliation for their activism or to make them the tumble male to consider the blame for NPA operations,” Kapatid spokesperson Fides Lim stated in a assertion on Saturday.
“We ask the govt to allow Juanito Itaas stay a tranquil everyday living with out threats to his protection as he warrants to make the most out of each second of his existence with his household. This will be the very first instance they can commence a normal life alongside one another outside jail bars,” Lim extra.
The Office environment of the Solicitor Typical filed a motion for reconsideration for his release.
“With this distinct assistance of sentence, there is no rationale to more prolong Juanito Itaas’ imprisonment or harass him via motions by the Solicitor Standard. He has already experienced so considerably and even the US authorities must know that in a place exactly where trumped-up political conditions are routine, they have the mistaken person who was tortured to confess to the killing,” Lim included.
Itaas was arrested on Aug. 27, 1989, as the suspect in the killing of Col. James Rowe of the US Military in Quezon Town.
Itaas was sentenced to 39 decades and 6 months of imprisonment when he was 25 a long time aged.
Inspite of this, he bought married in prison. He experienced 3 youngsters with his spouse — a son and two daughters — who had been conceived throughout conjugal visits at the NBP, according to Kapatid.
In 1992, he was recommended for launch, which the US government protested. Itaas has by now served 32 several years, 1 thirty day period, and 12 days. The RTC explained that with the GCTA, he was suitable to be credited with 10,698 times — or 29.31 yrs — considering that his arrest.
Itaas, when requested what he would do now after his release, explained in Filipino: “I’ll rest very first. I want to be with my household for the reason that it’s only now that we’re all with each other.”
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