Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 20) — Arrested community doctor Ma. Natividad Castro on Saturday met her family in a police headquarters in Bayugan, Agusan del Sur, the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) said on Sunday.
FLAG and the Commission on Human Rights demanded to know Castro’s whereabouts after the police and military arrested the doctor in her residence in San Juan City on Friday morning for alleged kidnapping. Authorities claimed that she is a high-ranking communist official.
“The Free Legal Assistance Group and the family of Dr. Maria Natividad Castro wish to convey, by the way of this update, that two of her sisters were able to meet with her at the police headquarters in Bayugan, Agusan del Sur yesterday (February 19),” FLAG said in a statement. “They were able to speak with her and spend some time together.”
The Philippine National Police Regional Office 13 on Saturday said Castro was brought from PNP National Headquarters in Quezon City to Bayugan City Police Station to face the regional trial court.
FLAG maintained that Castro is not a communist official.
“FLAG and Doc Naty are still unaware of the exact circumstances of the case that has allegedly been filed against her and the reason for her arrest,” the group said.
“Doc Naty is not a communist nor she is a terrorist. She is a health worker who has been helping those who need help most,” the group added.
FLAG also assured that it will pursue legal remedies to immediately dismiss the case filed against Castro.
