Lawyers of several arrested persons during the September 21 rally in Mendiola, Manila, announced that the Manila Office of the City Prosecutor recommended dismissing the complaints filed against them for violating Article 146 (Illegal Assembly), Article 148 (Direct Assault) of the Revised Penal Code, and Batas Pambansa 880. The prosecutor said the evidence was insufficient to file charges against the protesting youth.

According to Kabataan Party-list, the dismissal of the complaints marks a significant victory in defending the democratic right of the youth to protest. “Hold accountable the corrupt officials who stole from the nation’s coffers, not the youth who merely speak out against a corrupt and rotten system!” the group declared.

The group stated that it will never stop until everyone involved is held accountable and until the rotten system is changed.

Meanwhile, Karapatan and the Alyansa Laban sa Korapsyon at Brutalidad ng Pulis (AKAB or Alliance Against Corruption and Police Brutality) condemned the filing of formal cases against 10 protesters arrested on September 21. A separate prosecutor’s resolution recommended that the 10 be charged for violating Article 153 (Tumults and other disturbances of public order).

The 10 were temporarily released after posting ₱2,000 bail each. They will undergo trial for this case in the coming months.

“The Manila police are liars, particularly the Manila Police District, who themselves illegally arrested, tortured, and detained most of those they caught,” AKAB said. The group added that this was clearly an act of repression against the people because not a single investigation had been conducted against the police regarding their fascist acts against the protesters.

Karapatan also reported that some of those arrested and detained by the police were still awaiting the prosecutor to resolve the complaints filed against them. In this regard, the group reiterated calling to immediately dismiss these cases, asserting that the complaints were only filed by the police and the Marcos regime to silence and suppress the growing anti-corruption protests in the country.

“No amount of fascism will pacify the outrage of the people,” Karapatan said. The group renewed its demand to hold accountable all those corrupt and involved in illegal arrests, torture, and killings of participants in the September 21 protest. “The corrupt must be jailed, not the people who are hungry and long victims of an oppressive and rotten system!” AKAB said.