An 81-year-old construction worker who spent six months behind bars over mistaken identity has been ordered released by the Court of Appeals (CA), after being wrongly identified by police as a high-ranking New People’s Army (NPA) officer.
In a ruling dated June 27, the CA’s 16th Division granted a writ of habeas corpus in favor of Prudencio Calubid Jr., who was arrested in December last year by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) under the belief he was the same man who carried a P7.8-million bounty as an alleged communist leader and National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) consultant.
However, the court found that the CIDG had failed to exercise due diligence, targeting the wrong individual who merely shared the same name—minus the “Junior”—as the real suspect. Known as “Tay Pruding” in his Olongapo neighborhood, Calubid Jr. was not the man wanted by authorities.
“The supposed resemblance relied on by the CIDG was at best biased, subjective, and speculative,” the court said, criticizing the agency’s apparent reliance on social media rather than verifiable records.
The court further stressed that the arrest reflected a “serious lapse in judgment” and warned that such errors could seriously undermine public trust in the justice system. “This case sends the wrong message to the public,” the decision read. “That those tasked to serve and protect may, in fact, become the source of injustice.”
The CA directed Manila City Jail Warden Supt. Lino Soriano to release Calubid Jr. immediately. Also named in the petition were former PNP-CIDG chief Nicolas Torre III and ex-PNP chief Rommel Marbil.
Calubid Jr., confident at the time of his arrest that it was a misunderstanding, had not resisted detention. But his prolonged incarceration, according to rights groups, took a toll on his health.
“This should have never happened,” said Maria Sol Taule of human rights watchdog Karapatan. “He is among the many victims of the bounty system that prioritizes incentives over justice.”
The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL), who handled the habeas corpus petition, described the case as a troubling reflection of how bounty-driven operations have blurred the line between legitimate law enforcement and reckless arrests.
“This exposes a deeper institutional problem,” the NUPL said in a statement, revealing plans to pursue countercharges against the officers responsible for Calubid Jr.’s “unlawful incarceration.”
The real target of the CIDG, Prudencio Calubid (not Jr.), has been missing since 2006 along with his wife and is considered a victim of enforced disappearance.
