RETIRED Air Force Major General Romeo Poquiz, convenor of the United People’s Initiative (UPI), was released on bail Monday after being arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Pasay City in connection with an inciting to sedition case.
Poquiz confirmed to reporters that the judge had issued a release order after he posted the P48,000 bail.
Poquiz’s arrest occurred upon his arrival from a vacation in Bangkok, Thailand. He was initially taken to Camp Crame for processing before being transferred to the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 77, where he posted bail. Poquiz denounced his arrest as harassment and intimidation, claiming it was an attempt to silence government critics.
He asserted that his statements during protest actions at the People Power Monument in Quezon City on November 16 and 17, which are the basis for the sedition case, were simply expressions of public anger over alleged corruption.
Poquiz denied making any seditious statements, stating that he was merely conveying the intense feelings of hatred and anger of the people.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) issued a statement emphasizing that while freedom of expression is protected under the Constitution, it must be exercised within the bounds of the law. The AFP stressed that acts that incite participation in rebellion, sedition, or other unlawful activities are punishable under Philippine law, regardless of an individual’s former position or status.
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