Alimaong members arrested for trespassing released on bail

CEBU, Philippines - The six Datu Alimaong Tribe members were released from prison yesterday afternoon after posting bail of P1,000 each at the Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) in Talisay City.

Released were Ramon Eldon Noel, Bernardino Nipa, Benjamin Aleonar, Lorenzo Barazan Jr., Ricardo Plariza, and Rissah Amahan, all of whom are members of the Alimaong Tribe.

They were imprisoned for trespassing on private property, which the Talisay City Police charged them after they were seen building shanties at the property of Atty. Raul Sesbreño in barangay Lawaan II last April 8.

Susan Bono, MTCC’s clerk of court, confirmed that the six suspects

posted bail, which Judge Mario Manayon put at P1,000 for each of them yesterday morning.

Marshall Rubia, chief of the city’s prosecution office and inquest prosecutor of the case, said the trespass to private property was the only complaint with “probable cause;” the rest was dismissed for either “insufficiency of evidence” or “no probable cause” at all.

Apart from trespass to private property, police also charged the six with grave coercion, resistance, and disobedience to person in authority (for refusing to cooperate with the police), obstruction of justice, malicious mischief, and violation of RA 8371 or The Indigenous Peoples Right Act of 199” cases before Rubia’s office. – (FREEMAN)