Ex-PDLs ask Ombudsman to reconsider complaints vs 5 PNP execs

MANILA, Philippines — Former political prisoners and Indigenous Peoples rights defenders on Monday filed a motion for reconsideration before the Office of the Ombudsman over the complaints of alleged illegal arrest and detention, among others, that they filed against five police officers.

According to complainants Niezel Agudo and Julieta Gomez, they were allegedly arrested illegally during a joint military and police operation in July 2021 in Quezon City and accused of charges such as illegal possession of firearms and attempted murder.

They were jailed for nearly four years, as they were acquitted by the trial court only on April 8 last year due to “lack of evidence.”

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READ: Ex-PDLs file complaint vs 5 PNP execs over alleged illegal arrests

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With these charges, which they described as “planting of evidence,” the two political prisoners filed criminal charges—such as False Testimony Against a Defendant, False Testimony in Other Cases, Perjury in Solemn Affirmation, Unlawful Arrest, and Liability for Planting of Evidence—against the five police officers before the Ombudsman last November 2025.

They also filed administrative charges, including Conduct Prejudicial to the Best Interest of Service, Grave Abuse of Authority, Grave Misconduct, and Oppression.

But they lamented that the Office of the Ombudsman dismissed the complaints in June this year.

“Sa halos apat na taon namin pagkakulong tapos ganiyan lang ang desisyon sa Ombudsman na ipawalang-bisa na na-dismiss sa mga pulis yung kaso namin? Saan yung katarungan namin?” Agudo said in a chance interview after they filed the motion at the Ombudsman’s office.

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(After almost four years of imprisonment, the Ombudsman’s decision to dismiss our case was just that? Where is our justice?)

“Kami na mga aktibista, mabilis na makulong, samantalang yung mga pulis na nagpakulong sa amin, bihira lang na makulong,” she added.

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(We activists are quickly imprisoned, while the police who imprisoned us are rarely imprisoned.)

“Kailangan namin ng hustisya sa pagkakulong namin ng apat na taon na kasama namin si Julieta Gomez,” she said.

(We need justice for the four years we spent in prison with Julieta Gomez.)

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Agudo said they are asking the Ombudsman for the police officers to be jailed and relieved from service. /jpv