Court of Appeals orders release of Australian-Filipino linked to Mexican drug cartel

MANILA, Philippines — The Court of Appeals reversed its ruling and ordered the release of an Australian-Filipino detained by the Bureau of Immigration over alleged drug charges in Indonesia. In its amended decision promulgated on Oct. 29, 2025 but only made public on Friday, the appellate court’s Third Division granted the motion for reconsideration filed by Soledad Tolentino-Haas, mother of Gregor Johann Haas. The decision set aside the court’s May 14, 2025 ruling that favored the BI’s petition to stop Haas’s release.