Acting presidential spokesperson Karlo Nograles echoed the Department of Interior and Local Government’s statement that it was not a warrantless arrest.
“Una sa lahat hindi po ‘yun dahil sa sinasabing ‘red-tagging’ (First of all, her arrest was not a case of ‘red-tagging’). If you look at the facts of the case, the arrest was made by virtue of an arrest warrant issued by a regional trial court for serious illegal detention and kidnapping,” he said in a public briefing.
Nograles added that Castro’s legal counsel was given the opportunity to contest the charges.
“Again, the arrest warrant issued by the court, but even previous to that dumaan po ito ng proseso ng investigation ng prosecutor (this went through the process of investigation by the prosecutor) …They had all opportunities to contest it,” he added.
The police and the military arrested Castro in her San Juan City home last week. The warrant of arrest was issued by the Regional Trial Court Branch 7 in Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur.
Castro, whom authorities claim is head of the national health bureau of the CPP-New Peoples’ Army, is currently detained at the Bayugan City Police Station.
Meanwhile, Bayan Muna Party-list filed House Resolution 2496 urging the House to condemn and investigate Castro’s arrest.
The resolution said Castro has been a victim of red-tagging, citing tarpaulins put up by suspected state agents in 2020 in public places in Caraga region identifying her and other human rights defenders as “communist NPAs.”
“It is imperative for members of Congress, as representatives of our people, to defend the rights of our people and check on excesses and violations, especially in this time of crisis,” the resolution read. “It must bring perpetrators to account to put a stop to the killings and rights violations against its people.”
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 22) — Malacañang on Tuesday reiterated that community doctor Natividad Castro was arrested for the criminal charges against her and not because of her alleged position in the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).
