Complaint vs Bayan over effigy-burning junked

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 25) — The Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office dismissed the complaint filed against Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) president Renato Reyes Jr. and artist Max Santiago over the burning of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s effigy during a protest at the second State of the Nation Address.

Reyes posted the resolution signed Jan. 8 on social media platform X on Thursday.

The resolution, inked by Senior Assistant City Prosecutor Jaime Villanueva, said that the complaint was dismissed as there was “no probable cause to indict respondents.”

“No clear evidence was presented to show that the respondents were the ones responsible for the burning of the effigy,” it read.

While no proof was submitted pointing to Reyes and Santiago, the prosecutor’s office still said that “there is no doubt that an effigy was maliciously burned during a public assembly…”

In his post, Reyes welcomed the decision but lambasted the remarks on the movement.

“We consider this a legal victory but with a caveat against the statement that the effigy burning was malicious,” he said.

“We express our strong reservation that the effigy burning was malicious as we consider such a part of protected free speech. The findings of a malicious burning of the effigy is not supported by facts and by law,” Reyes added.