Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 22) — A community doctor accused of being a communist leader has been ordered re-arrested by an Agusan del Sur court, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Wednesday.
According to DOJ, Judge Ferdinand Villanueva reversed on June 16 an earlier court decision which dismissed the case against Dr. Maria Natividad Castro, who was charged with kidnapping and serious illegal detention.
Last March, Judge Fernando Fudalan, Jr. junked the charges against Castro after ruling that she was denied the right to due process and that there was a lack of jurisdiction over her.
Villanueva, who was acting on the prosecution’s appeal, however, said there was no denial of due process since a preliminary investigation was conducted by the prosecution.
He added that the court acquired jurisdiction over Castro since she was arrested by virtue of an arrest warrant.
“Per court order dated 16 June 2022, an e-warrant of arrest will be issued against accused Dr. Maria Natividad Castro,” the DOJ said in a press briefer.
Castro, whom authorities claim is a ranking member of the Communist Party of the Philippines, was arrested in February in her home in San Juan City. Before the case against her was quashed, she was detained by police in Agusan del Sur where the charges were filed.
Her family and the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) strongly denied the accusations against her, with FLAG earlier saying Castro is neither a communist nor a terrorist, but is “a health worker who has been helping those who need help most.”
