By Rey E. Requejo

The Court of Appeals has dismissed the petition for writ of habeas corpus filed by Indanan town Mayor Alvarez Isnaji and his son Haider who were charged with kidnapping-for-ransom over the abduction of ABS-CBN journalist Ces Drilon and her news team in June 2008.

In a decision, the CA’s Former Sixth Division through Associate Justice Apolinario Bruselas Jr. found no legal basis to order their immediate release.

“It cannot be said that the petitioners’ liberty had been illegally curtailed; it cannot also be said that their detention has been unreasonably lengthy. Their detention has been pursuant to the law and in keeping with due process,” the appellate court said.

“The length and time of their detention has not been deliberately planned but merely resulted from a confluence of events partly triggered by the petitioners themselves, thus, the privilege of the writ may not be extended to the petitioners.”

The Isnajis cited the Speedy Trial Act, requiring the accused must be arraigned and brought to trial within 30 days from filing of the case in court.

Earlier, the National Police presented to the appellate court the mayor and his son, averring the legality of their continued detention.

The two are held at Camp Crame’s Custodial Center.

The two were charged for the kidnapping of Drilon after a Justice Department task force found probable cause to indict them based on accounts of police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group indicating their overriding interest in the ransom.

Isnaji and his son acted as negotiators in the release of Drilon, camera men Angelo Valderrsama and Jimmyfred Encarnacion, and Professor Octavio Dinampo from their kidnappers in Sulu in June 2008.