Regional Trial Court Acquits 'Mabinay 6' After Seven Years of Detention

After spending seven years in detention, six individuals collectively referred to as the ‘Mabinay 6’ have been acquitted by the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 42 in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental. The court issued its verdict on September 22, acquitting them of criminal charges filed in 2018 by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), specifically accusations of possessing high-powered firearms and explosives.

The accused were apprehended on March 3, 2018, in Barangay Luyang, Mabinay, Negros Oriental, following a reported 45-minute confrontation with the military. The six include Myles Albasin, a journalist and University of the Philippines – Cebu City graduate; Randel Hermino, a local from a sugarcane-farming family; Carlo Ybañes, raised in Cebu’s urban poor communities; and peasant activists Joemar Indico, Joey Vailoces, and Bernard Guillen.

The court’s decision was heavily influenced by the paraffin test results from the Negros Oriental Provincial Crime Laboratory, which showed that none of the accused had powder residue on their hands, undermining claims that they possessed firearms. Additionally, the court identified significant gaps in the prosecution's case, including lack of concrete evidence during the alleged armed encounter and mishandling of crucial evidence.

Atty. Kristian Jacob Casas-Abad Lora, defending the accused, emphasized the court's reliance on reasonable doubt, stating, "It was hard for the court to simply ignore the numerous loopholes in the evidence for the prosecution as these make the prosecution’s version of the incident doubtful. Accordingly, our clients have not been found guilty beyond reasonable doubt."

Emotional scenes unfolded as family members embraced the freed individuals following the court's ruling. The ‘Mabinay 6’ are expected to reunite fully with their relatives and friends outside the detention facility shortly.