A court on Monday, September 22, acquitted Myles Albasin, a 29-year-old mass communication graduate, and her five co-accused — known as the ‘Mabinay 6’ — of all criminal charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives.
The decision was hailed as a “resounding vindication” by their legal teams, which had long maintained the charges were baseless.
The Regional Trial Court Branch 42 in Dumaguete found that the prosecution’s case was “riddled with inconsistencies and a complete lack of credible evidence.”
The judge noted that the prosecution “failed to establish the guilt of all the six accused” and that there were “numerous loopholes” in their evidence.
Albasin, a graduate of the University of the Philippines Cebu, was represented by La Viña Zarate & Associates (LVZ Law). Her co-accused, Jomar Indico, Carlo Ybañes, Randel Hermino, Joey Vailoces, and Bernard Guillen, were represented by the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) Cebu Chapter.
The group was arrested in March 2018 in Mabinay, Negros Oriental, after what the Philippine Army’s 62nd Infantry Battalion claimed was a five-minute gun battle. Authorities claimed they seized high-powered rifles, ammunition, and explosives.
However, the court found there was no proper handling of the evidence and that the claims of a gun battle were unsubstantiated.
“The court’s ruling is a resounding vindication of her innocence and an affirmation that truth and justice will prevail,” Albasin’s co-counsel, Atty. Jayvy Gamboa, said.
Gamboa added that the court’s decision “sends a clear message that an individual cannot be stripped of their rights and freedoms based merely on suspicion, misplaced profiling, or the mere fact of being in a conflict area.”
Lawyer Karlos Zarate of LVZ Law said the decision affirms that the “evidence presented did not support the claims of the prosecution.”
“We are deeply proud of Myles. She has demonstrated extraordinary strength and resilience throughout this ordeal,” Zarate said, adding that the years of “unjust incarceration have been immensely difficult, causing trauma and anxiety for her and her family.”
The law firm, which took on Albasin's case pro bono, commended the court for its independence.
“While this is a victory for Myles…it is also a triumph for the fundamental principles of justice, due process, and the presumption of innocence,” Atty. Tony La Viña, LVZ managing partner, said.
La Viña said Myles, who is the law firm’s first client, will be joining “LVZ as a paralegal and Klima as a climate justice researcher.”
