MANILA, Philippines – Environmental activist Rowena “Owen” Dasig has not been heard of since her supposed launch from detention on Wednesday, August 21, in response to her legal professionals.
Dasig’s authorized counsels Tony La Viña and Karlos Zarate from La Viña, Zarate & Associates (LVZ) mentioned her launch was blocked by the Lucena Metropolis District Jail (LCDJ) on August 21.
“[On] 21 August 2024, regardless of complying with all the necessities, the warden of the Lucena Metropolis District Jail (LCDJ) unjustly and unlawfully refused to launch Dasig to her authorized workforce,” LVZ mentioned in an announcement on Friday.
A Quezon courtroom acquitted her final August 13 attributable to insufficiency in proof.
She, together with fellow environmental activist Miguela “Ella” Peniero, had been arrested by the police and army on July 12, 2023.
Whereas her authorized counsel welcomed the courtroom’s resolution, they sounded alarm when on her unknown whereabouts.
“On 22 August 2024, when the authorized workforce’s paralegals returned to the LCDJ, they had been knowledgeable that she had already been launched. As of writing, Owen has not been heard from and her whereabouts stay unknown,” LVZ added.
LVZ defined that what LCDJ did “constitutes a refusal to adjust to a courtroom order, amounting to contempt of courtroom, and in addition grave misconduct as they wilflully refused to carry out their responsibility of releasing an acquitted particular person with no additional pending circumstances.”
In response to an announcement of Free Owen and Ella Community on Friday, a paralegal from LCDJ mentioned that Dasig was accompanied by her relative upon her launch however this was denied by her household.
The household was additionally unaware that she had already been launched.
Her legal professionals mentioned that they are going to cooperate with paralegals from the Free Owen and Ella Community and Karapatan Southern Tagalog.
READ: Cries of police abuse immediate CHR probe into envi activist’s arrest
“We’re extending no matter assist we are able to on the continued seek for Owen carried out by human rights teams. We sincerely hope that she is dropped at security and that her rights are protected,” they mentioned.
Karapatan Southern Tagalog launched a humanitarian mission on Saturday for her to ultimately floor.
“Karapatan Southern Tagalog condemns to the very best diploma the sabotaging of LCDJ on the supposed launch of Owen, for its failure to speak together with her authorized counsels and paralegals who’re licensed in dealing with her circumstances,” mentioned Paul Tagle of Karapatan – Southern Tagalog in an announcement on Saturday.
Free Owen and Ella Community mentioned that the arrest of Dasig and Peniero adopted after conducting a analysis on the results of mixed cycle turbine energy challenge and liquefied pure terminal gasoline plant in Atimonan, Quezon to the farmers of the province.
In the meantime, Perenio stays detained regardless of likewise being acquitted like Dasig attributable to different expenses.