Pasig cops file case vs green activist Castro over St. Gerrard protest
MANILA, Philippines — The Pasig City Prosecutor’s Office has subpoenaed environmental activist Jonila Castro over a police captain’s complaint of illegal public assembly in front of the Discaya-owned St. Gerrard Construction compound.
The subpoena was delivered to Bayan Muna’s office on Friday, September 19, requiring her to appear before the Pasig City Hall by 10 a.m. on September 25 and submit a counter affidavit.
Pasig Police Chief Hendrix Mangaldan and Police Captain Ralph Santos of Sector 3 filed the complaint against Castro on September 11, accusing her of violating the Public Assembly Act of 1985 — a Marcosian law requiring permits to protest.
“Kung idinaan nila sa kaso ang lalong panunupil, idadaan namin sa protesta sa kalsada ang paglaban sa korapsyon, pasismo, at bulok na sistema,” Castro said in a statement, mentioning how she will face her case.
(If they use cases to further suppress us, we will bring the fight against corruption, fascism, and the rotten system to the streets through protest.)
She added that the government is clearly perpetuating double standards. While it takes time to pursue charges against alleged corrupt officials, it wastes no time in filing cases against the people whose funds have been stolen.
It can be recalled that several activists from progressive and environmental groups staged a rally outside St. Gerrard’s headquarters in Pasig City on September 4.
They threw mud at the compound’s gate as part of their call for accountability in the flood control investigations.
Protesters also spray-painted slogans on the gate, accusing contractors such as the Discayas of corruption and calling for their imprisonment.
RELATED: Discaya-owned building stormed by environmental groups
Castro, who serves as Kalikasan’s spokesperson, was one of them. She was also one of the two environmental defenders who filed a complaint against state authorities for abducting them.
The reason why protesters channeled their anger into protests against the Discayas was that they were among the country’s top flood control contractors.
They confirmed managing nine construction firms, all of which had bagged government contracts totaling over P30 billion from 2022 to 2025 alone, and owning at least 30 luxury cars in their compound.
“When billions are being siphoned off from public funds and leaving millions of Filipinos suffering from floods and disasters, our anger is justified,” Kalikasan said in a statement on Friday.
According to the attached complaint sent to Philstar.com, Santos and two other police officers who witnessed the protest said demonstrators “continued their unlawful acts” even after they were told to “maintain peace and order within the vicinity.”
“During [the] interview of the responding police officers to the member of the aforementioned party list it reveals that said political demonstrators failed to provide any permit to execute assembly at the area,” the September 9 letter read, requesting to investigate Castro.
Pasig’s city administrator also issued a certification to the police, confirming that no permit was filed to conduct a protest in front of St. Gerrard Construction.
Progressive groups, however, have long criticized the Public Assembly Act, arguing it should be repealed given how it has been exploited in many cases to criminalize protests.
“BP 880, a martial law relic, is once again brandished to criminalize basic rights—proof that this rotten system fears the organized masses more than the next typhoon,” Kalikasan said.
Castro also urged the public to join the September 21 protest at Luneta, marking the Martial Law anniversary, to demand justice amid allegations of widespread government corruption.
RELATED: What to know: September 21 anti-corruption rallies at Luneta, EDSA
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