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MANILA, Philippines — Courts may bar the departure of individuals under criminal probe through a precautionary hold departure order (PHDO) only when their alleged offense carries a prison term of at least six years, according to the Supreme Court (SC).
The high tribunal’s Third Division said this in reversing the earlier rulings of a Manila regional trial court (RTC) in 2021 that issued a PHDO against travel agent Faustine Abad, who was facing estafa and violations of Batas Pambansa Blg. 22, or the Bouncing Checks Law.
Abad turned to the SC after Branch 50 of the Manila RTC also denied the motion she filed to recall the PHDO, arguing she was not a flight risk.
READ: SC issues new rule on Precautionary Hold Departure Orders
