‘Here we are today’: Filmmaker Jade Castro looks back on unlawful arrest a year ago

February 3, 2025 - 4:53 PM
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Jade Castro (rightmost) with his friends in this photo posted on his X account on Feb. 1, 2025 (castrojade via X)

Filmmaker Jade Castro reflected on their unlawful arrest during a vacation in Quezon province a year ago.

The film director on Saturday, February 1, shared a life update after his unlawful arrest a year ago. He and three friends were detained without a warrant on Feb. 1, 2023, in Mulanay town on suspicion of destructive arson.

They were linked to a modern jeepney-burning incident in the neighboring town of Catanauan.

CCTV footage showed their car passing through a Mulanay road around 7 p.m. on Jan. 31, 2023, coinciding with the time the crime was committed in Catanauan.

However, another footage showed Castro filming a local pageant rehearsal in Mulanay at 7:25 p.m. on the same day.

Two local officials from Mulanay confirmed they were with the filmmaker and his friends when the crime occurred in Catanauan.

Castro and his companions were detained for 40 days, during which they passed the time playing board games and dancing Zumba.

On March 11, 2024, they were released after a court ruled their arrest “illegal,” citing “lack of reasonable connections” based on witness statements and a police report.

Castro and his two companions immediately traveled back to Manila to reunite with their families.

One of them, Ernesto Orcine, stayed in Quezon to be with his family.

Fast forward to this year, and the filmmaker and his companions are continuing with their lives after the unlawful arrest.

“Exactly one year ago today, we were unlawfully arrested while vacationing in Mulanay, Quezon,” Castro said on the X (formerly Twitter) platform.

“Here we are today (not in Quezon),” the film director added.

He shared pictures of them playing a board game and swimming in a pool.

Castro and Orcine were joined by Noel Mariano and Dominic Ramos.

The filmmaker previously said they did not believe they were targeted because of his work as a cultural worker.

“Ang tingin po namin, hindi kami tinarget… Kung hindi dahil nandoon kami at naisip nilang ituro kami… Hindi dahil kami ay mga professional o kami ay kilala, kung hindi dahil ordinaryo kami,” he said before.

Human rights lawyer Chel Diokno, part of Castro’s legal team, previously stated that law enforcers “rely too much on testimony, even without physical evidence.”

“Probing a case, like in other countries, should be evidence-based. This means the probe should be backed by science. The case will not prosper if there’s no really strong evidence,” Diokno had said.

ALSO READ: ‘Glad you’re free’: Messages of relief greet Jade Castro after 40-day detention

Castro is known for writing and directing the romantic indie film “Endo”, which won the Special Jury Prize at the 2007 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival and Best Screenplay at the 2007 Gawad Urian.

He also directed “Zombadings 1: Patayin sa Shokot si Remington,” “My Big Love,” “My Lady Boss,” “My Kontrabida Girl,” “Beki Boxer,” “LSS (Last Song Syndrome)” and “Juana C: The Movie.”