Judge Manuel Limsiaco Jr. of the Municipal Trial Court of Valladolid-San Enrique-Pulupandan ordered the release yesterday of 26 inmates from Pulupandan jail after the complainants dropped the charges of grave threat against them.

The inmates, among them Barangay Captain Lowell Del Carmen and wife Racquel of Zone 6, left the jail "physically fit and in good health", Senior Inspector Rone Grajo, Pulupandan police chief, said.

In his order, Limsiaco said that the cases were dropped by the complainants for humanitarian reasons.

During the hearing in Valladolid, the lawyer of the complainants Sahlee Gail Yparosa, manifested that the dropping of the charges was made with "no strings attached and for purely humanitarian reasons."

With the release of the 26 inmates, lawyers of both parties agreed that that motion for the transfer of the inmates from Pulupandan jail to the Negros Occidental provincial jail was rendered moot and academic. Grajo said that with the release of the 26 inmates, only 19 remained in jail including Barangay Captain Cristina Malunes of Zone 3.

He said that the jail is no longer congested.

Limsiaco said that the 26 released inmates were among the 45 accused who surrendered to the police in June 30. The fate of the 142 who remained at large depends on the actions of the law enforcers, he said.

The judge also expressed hopes that parties in the case will be able to resolve their conflict smoothly.

Limsiaco, 68, said he only has two more years in service before he retires.

Meanwhile, Pulupandan mayor Magdaleno Peña said that the 26 inmates released were free as of now. He said it was a good thing that the complainants agreed to drop the charges against them. Facts of the case showed that the 187 were accused for five counts of grave threat by supporters of Peña.

The complainants filed the charges against the accused for allegedly throwing stones, hard objects and pillboxes, and firing guns at the house of Councilor Hedy Gonzales while they and 21 others were inside.

One of the complainants was Peña's former bodyguard Boy Gabine who was killed when the mayor was ambushed on May 30.*NAB

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