Jonathan Frederic De Santos

Groups protest in front of the Manila Police Department in Manila on September 25, 2025 to demand the release of minors arrested on September 21. Jeff Caparas, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Jeff Caparas

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — Children’s rights advocates and the families of minors detained after the September 21 rallies staged a protest Thursday, September 25,  in front of the Manila Police District.</p><p>Salinlahi Alliance for Children’s Concerns said many of those apprehended were only bystanders and should not have been detained. Police had arrested more than 200 in the wake of violence in parts of Manila that erupted when the rallies ended.</p><p>“They were left inside without proper medical care, sleeping on cold floors, with injuries unattended and food and water inadequate,” said Candice Sering of Salinlahi.</p><p>“Even if they joined, it’s their democratic right,” she added.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/22/arrests-after-protests-in-manila-leave-parents-seeking-answers-2018"><strong>Arrests after protests in Manila leave parents seeking answers<br/></strong></a></div><p>Among those who joined the indignation protest was Marianne Karingal, mother of “Fishball Boy” Alvin Karingal, who she said has a mental condition and should not have been locked up.</p><p>“Wala namang ginagawa ang anak ko. Kita ko sa video, hinatak niyo siya, nasira ang damit at sinikmuraan pa. Masakit para sa akin bilang ina,” Karingal said.</p><p>(My son didn&#x27;t do anything. You can see in the video that police grabbed him. His clothes were ripped and he was hit in the stomach. That hurt me as a mother to see it)</p><p>She said she wanted to file complaints against the police but cannot identify them because their faces were covered.</p><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:551px;height:716px;display:block;flex-grow:1" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1971050014995775666&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2025-09-25T08%3A46%3A16.459200%3A57384789-5b03-4b74-bd0d-70a83029eeff%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=e455d5f1b07278fdf52f7420a914aecf446241fa&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" data-tweet-id="1971050014995775666"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><div><br/></div><p>“Sana tulungan kami ni Yorme para makalabas ang mga bata. PWD ang anak ko at may pangarap pa rin sila,” she said.</p><p>(I hope Manila Mayor Francisco &quot;Isko Moreno&quot; Domagoso helps us get the youths released. My son is a PWD and the youths also have dreams)</p><p>Karingal said she has been visiting her son in detention and delivering his prescribed medicine.</p><p>Rights group Karapatan called on the Commission on Human Rights to investigate what it described as police brutality.</p><p>“There are photos, videos and eyewitness accounts proving police used teargas and live ammunition,” said Atty. Maria Sol Taule of Karapatan in a statement. </p><p>“Reports even say two were killed during the dispersal,” she adds. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/22/more-than-200-arrested-in-manila-protest-riot-isko-tags-alleged-instigators-2050"><strong>More than 200 arrested in Manila protest riot; Isko tags alleged instigators<br/></strong></a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>CHR TO HOLD INQUIRIES ON POTENTIAL POLICE ABUSE</strong></div><p>The CHR on Monday said it had sent teams to monitor the rallies and was collating documentation and testimonies. It also said it would continue monitoring the treatment of those detained.</p><p>It said that while protests have a “rightful place” in a democracy, these should not endanger others or compromise public safety.</p><p>It also said state regulation of protests and assemblies “must always comply with human rights standards, guided by the principles of necessity, proportionality and accountability.”</p><p>CHR said it will also conduct impartial inquiries into potential violations of police procedure and “determine whether grave human rights violations were committed.”</p><p>Lawyers from the National Union of People&#x27;s Lawyers also reported detainees, including minors and PWDs, bore bruises, head injuries and signs of torture.</p><p>The MPD, however, denied the allegations.</p><p>“Unang-una, ang magsasabi niyan kung may illegal arrest ay ’yung piskalya. Na-inquest sila, ibig sabihin legal ang pag-aresto,” said PMaj. Philipp Ines, MPD spokesperson.</p><p>(In the first place, the prosecutor would be the one to determine if arrest was illegal. Those detained went through inquest proceedings, so that means the arrests were legal)</p><p>He added the minors were not detained in cells but were placed in the custody of the Women and Children Protection Section. He said they were provided a medical team, lawyers, access to a human rights observer as well as &quot;food and care&quot;.</p><p>Ines said the MPD is continuing its probe, including a review of social media and of CCTV footages,  into those behind the September 21 disturbance.</p><p>The MPD earlier reported that 244 individuals were arrested during the protest, all processed through inquest.</p>

<p>Salinlahi Alliance for Children’s Concerns said many of those apprehended were only bystanders and should not have been detained.</p>

Salinlahi Alliance for Children’s Concerns said many of those apprehended were only bystanders and should not have been detained.

Protesters demand release of minors arrested after Manila rally

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Protesters demand release of minors arrested after Manila rally

Jeff Caparas,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 25, 2025 04:28 PM PHT

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Manila Police District

Salinlahi

Karapatan

National Union of Peoples' Lawyers

September 21 protests

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