Arrested pro-Palestine activist Edison Yu posts bail

MANILA, Philippines — The pro-Palestine activist who was arrested in Taguig City walked free from detention after posting bail.

Edison Yu was released from detention on Tuesday, June 18, according to group Youth 4 Palestine – Makati. The animal rights and pro-Palestine activist walked free from detention shortly before noon on Tuesday. The bail was worth P3,000.

Yu was nabbed on June 8 before supposedly joining a pro-Palestine rally in Bonifacio Global City and spent days in detention inside Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City. Yu faces a charge for slight physical injuries.

“As a nonviolent activist, an animal and human rights advocate, we condemn the Palestinian genocide]. We can’t wait for that to happen to us before we speak out,” Yu said.

The activist was supposed to join a rally near the Israeli Embassy in support of Palestinians. Yu arrived early in the area, where he saw the police and barricades and started taking photos. Someone noticed him and reprimanded him for taking photographs.

Yu started walking away, but a diplomat security officer, identified as Rodolfo Osorio Jr., later punched Yu in the face. Yu got dizzy and pushed Osorio away. The Taguig City police, however, viewed the incident as Yu “punching” the security diplomat “in the stomach.”

Yu was later arrested and the police claimed he “caused a disturbance in the area.”

The activist’s arrest once again highlighted the problem with warrantless arrests. Yu was detained without a warrant and charge for over 24 hours.

Under the Rules of Court, a person may be arrested without a warrant if the person is caught in the act, if there’s a probable cause to believe that a crime was committed, or if the person is a fugitive.

The Revised Penal Code states that a person arrested without a warrant should be brought to court within a maximum of 36 hours, and that is already for grave violations.

Pro-Palestine protests

Palestine currently faces a series of attacks from Israel. The most recent ones were triggered by the October 7 incident, where Palestinian group Hamas launched an attack and Israel declared war as a response.

The fight between Palestine and Israel traces back to the early 1900s, when the British government committed “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people” and facilitated “the achievement of this object,” according to Al Jazeera. The commitment is known as the Balfour Declaration.

At the time, Palestinian Arab natives already made up 90% of the population in the area. Over the years, the conflict would continue. In the most recent years, Israel launched military assaults in Gaza – in 2008, 2012, 2014, and 2021 – and led to the deaths of thousands of Palestinians including children.

Meanwhile, as to the latest conflict, Palestinian health authorities said Israel’s recent attacks resulted in the deaths of at least 35,000 people, who are mostly civilians, and displaced 2.3 million people in Gaza, as of May. Just last January, the International Court of Justice has found it “plausible” that Israel has committed acts against the Genocide Convention.

Palestine gained support from around the world. In the United States, a close ally of Israel, students set up protest encampments to show support for Palestine and protest against Israel. Pro-Palestine protests were also present in other parts of the world, like in the Philippines, where youth and other organizations led demonstrations in support of the Middle Eastern country. – Rappler.com