Finally, freedom for a freedom-loving artist.
After forty days of incarceration, film director Jade Castro ("Endo," "Zombadings," "Patayin sa Syokot si Remington," etc.) with his three companions were released from the custody of the police authorities.
It was in Catanauan Municipal Jail in Catanauan town in the province of Quezon, that Castro, Ernesto Orcine, Noel Mariano and Dominic Ramos were incarcerated after they were apprehended and arrested on grounds of arson for alleged setting on fire a modern PUV in this town on January 31, 2024.
Castro and his three companions were in a resort in Mulanay (another town in the 3rd District of Quezon), attending a fiesta, when they were nabbed.
According to a court decision, Jade and his friends were wrongfully accused and illegally arrested and jailed without warrant.
When the incident reached the entertainment community, not a few freedom fighters among celebrities called for the immediate release of Castro and his co-accused.
At the moment, many are jubilant about the decision of the court.
"Grateful and relieved to share that Jade Castro, our esteemed Directing Instructor at Asia Pacific Film Institute, is finally free... after a wrongful warrantless arrest," stated the official statement of the Asia Pacific Film Institute.
Entertainment writer Mell T. Navarro is happy about Jade's release. "Welcome back, Direk Jade--we're always here for you!" exclaimed Mell.
"Nakalaya na ang film director na si Jade Castro at 3 kasama matapos katigan ni Catanauan RTC Branch 96 Judge Julius Francis Galvez ang motion to quash ng mga abogado ng grupo, ayon kay (The film director was freed alongside his three companions after the Catanauan RTC Branch 96 Judge Julius Francis Galvez upheld the motion to quash filed by the lawyers of the group, two of them, Attys. Michael Marpuri and Carmela Pena)," reported ABS-CBN correspondent Dennis Datu.
Atty. Chel Diokno was one of the legal counsels of Castro and his three companions.
Jade said in a press conference that their arrest and filing of charges had no basis.
Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) has filed administrative cases against the Catanauan Chief of Police for falsely accusing Castro and friends of arson as the authorities had no physical evidence to drag them to the case.
#WeTakeAStand #OpinYon