After eight months in prison, church worker Benny Mendoza walked free on August 27 when a Davao de Oro court dismissed the qualified trafficking charge filed against her. State forces arrested Mendoza on December 28, 2024 in Davao City.

Prior to the case’s dismissal, another Davao City court had earlier junked a qualified trafficking case against Mendoza on June 23. The court established that she was not the person named in that case.

According to Karapatan-Southern Mindanao Region (SMR), the court decisions proved that Mendoza was a victim of fabricated charges. The group stated that this was clearly another old state tactic to harass and prolong the detention of activists and human rights defenders.

“Mendoza’s release is a victory for church workers and human rights advocates who continue to serve the marginalized despite the intensified fascist attacks under the Marcos Jr,” the group declared.

The group asserted that personnel of the Region XI Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) of the Philippine National Police and the 10th ID of the Armed Forces of the Philippines must be held accountable for arresting and detaining Mendoza. The group also held accountable the National Task Force-Elcac, which they said was a Marcos regime’s instrument in sowing terrorism and fear among the people and their national democratic forces.

With Mendoza’s release, Karapatan-SMR demanded anew the freedom of all political prisoners in the region and throughout the country. No less than 700 political prisoners presently remain behind bars in the Philippines.