The second trumped-up charge of illegal possession of firearms against United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) Pastor Nathaniel “Dodo” Vallente were dismissed by the Regional Trial Court in Bohol on June 5, 2025, as the prosecution failed to establish facts beyond resonable doubt.
Vallente was arrested at his house in Bohol by elements of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group of the Philippine National Police (PNP-CIDG) on June 25, 2021, and charged with alleged illegal possession of firearms and explosives on the basis of evidence allegedly planted by the raiding team.
Before his arrest, Vallente was a peasant rights advocate and served as the adviser of Nagkahiusang Mag-uuma sa San Jose, a peasant organization in Bohol.
Vallente was released on bail after the Regional Trial Court in Bohol granted a Demurrer to Evidence on September 6, 2024, resulting in the dismissal of the first trumped-up charges of alleged illegal possession of explosives.
The court decision is also a result of the tireless efforts of Pastor “Dodo’s” family, friends, UCCP colleagues and supporting organizations who spent almost four years demanding a fair trial and his immediate release from prison.
Nathaniel Vallente’s case is featured in AMP’s Human Rights Report from 2024 on page 21.
A case documentation can also be found here on our website.
Photo © UCCP