In the Philippines, a single mother, detained for 17 years, walks free after a judge found her to be "at the wrong place at the wrong time" when a kidnapping incident took place.
In 17 yrs, she didn't see her 8-yr-old boy grow up. She lost her father 2 months before her release.
In 17 yrs, she didn't see her 8-yr-old boy grow up. She lost her father 2 months before her release.
https://twitter.com/TVPatrol/status/1403714158273650702
How did this happen? Her lawyer says the case was complicated with several police witnesses. “Pops,” not her real name, was 1 of 10 accused, who all testified and presented their own witnesses.
8 of the accused, including 2 policemen, were convicted of kidnapping for ransom.
8 of the accused, including 2 policemen, were convicted of kidnapping for ransom.
Pops had no idea that her cop-boyfriend was involved in kidnapping. She was arrested because she was in the same car when her boyfriend was caught. But she was never seen during the abduction and detention of the kidnap victim.
Pops swears she didn’t know anything about what was happening. She just came back from the province at that time.
She claims she was blindfolded, handcuffed and tortured by the police — forced to admit to the crime. She says police placed plastic on her head.
She claims she was blindfolded, handcuffed and tortured by the police — forced to admit to the crime. She says police placed plastic on her head.
Since her arrest in 2004, Pops was represented by same lawyer who defended her cop-boyfriend. It was only in 2015 when she met her current lawyer, Juman Paa, who agreed to take on her case without charge. Paa says he realized Pops was innocent based on 5 interviews with her.
It was a long process, Atty Paa says. But testimonies of surveillance team matched with Pops’ that she was only present during boyfriend’s arrest.
Another problem was that the court handling it only had a pairing judge. An inhibition led to case being raffled to another court.
Another problem was that the court handling it only had a pairing judge. An inhibition led to case being raffled to another court.
Paa attributes the delay partly to a lack of judges, hence, the resort to pairing judges who had voluminous cases to deal with.
Pops says that at some point, the previous court handling the case only heard it once in a year.
Pops says that at some point, the previous court handling the case only heard it once in a year.
For all her 17 years in detention despite her innocence, Pops only stands to receive P10,000 in compensation, based on a 1992 law which sets the cap on compensation for unjust detention at P1,000 per month but no more than P10,000 total. 
What did 17 years in detention cost Pops? She left behind her son with her parents. On the few occasions he visited her, he would ask her when she would come home. She would tell him to just wait for the time when she would finally be set free.
But Pops’ biggest regret is not being able to see her father again. Pops says each time they would talk on the phone, he refused to speak and would just tear up. But she asked him to wait for her.
He died in April. She was released early June.
He died in April. She was released early June.
Pops, now 44, is reunited with her son but has yet to see her family in the province. She says she wants to begin again, put up own business, save up and provide for her family. She says she doesn’t want to go home yet because it would only hurt her if she has nothing to give.
PH’s new chief justice, Alexander Gesmundo, vows to focus on speedy disposition of cases as an immediate goal through case decongestion and resort to technology. He acknowledges delays in resolving cases adversely affect public perception of courts.
news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/11/21/…
news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/11/21/…
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