Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 19) — A public school teacher who was arrested for his online post offering a ₱50 million reward to anyone who would kill President Rodrigo Duterte is now free on bail.
Alliance of Concerned Teachers Secretary General Raymond Basilio confirmed Tuesday that Ronnel Mas was granted provisional liberty after his family posted bail, paying the amount of ₱72,000 for his release.
Branch 72 of the Regional Trial Court issued a release order on Tuesday, and set the arraignment and pre-trial date on May 28.
“Justice, however, is yet to be gained,” Basilio said. “The Duterte government shall answer for their blatant disregard of teacher Ronnel’s rights and freedoms when the NBI coerced him into admission, presented to and humiliated him in front of the press, and illegally detained him for eight days.”
The Department of Justice ruled that the warrantless arrest of public high school teacher Ronnel Mas was invalid, but added that the “defect” was “untimely cured” by his own admission to the media that he posted a bounty for Duterte’s slay.
For a warrantless arrest to be valid, prosecutors said the Rules of Court requires that the offense “has just been committed.” This was not the case with Mas, wherein he posted his tweet on May 5, and was tracked down and apprehended six days later in Sta. Cruz, Zambales.
“Our fight continues, not only for teacher Ronnel, but also for teachers Juliet and Eli Espiñosa who were jailed for their humanitarian regard for others,” Basilio said. “Our fight continues as long as state-funded censorship and attacks on free speech run rampant.”
At least four people from all over the country have been accosted by police for online posts offering a bounty for anyone who can kill Duterte, as well as a post questioning the President’s former aide now Senator Christopher “Bong” Go’s pervasive presence in Malacañang.
