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[av_heading heading=’‘CIVILIANS, NOT NPA MEMBERS’ Did cops, military really arrest rebels? ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY RANIE AZUE and ADRIAN STEWART CO
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Wednesday, October 25, 2017
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BACOLOD City – Human rights lawyer Sol Taole of the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) claimed that the Philippine Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) arrested two innocent civilians and not leaders of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) last Oct. 19.
Taole told Panay News that they were Jeremy Ang and Lita Espinosa, her clients.
Ang and Espinosa were identified by the police and the military as Louie Antonio “Louie Castro” Martinez and Aurora “Lilay” Cayon, who were alleged to be top officials of the CPP-NPA.
The NUPL central office tasked Taole to assist lawyers Ceasar Beloria Jr. and Ben Ramos in providing legal assistance to the two.
On Saturday, Taole flew to Negros Occidental and coordinated with Karapatan-Negros secretary-general Clarissa Singson-Dagatan.
Taole said they were able to talk to the suspects while they were at CIDG’s detention facility in Camp Alfredo Montelibano, Barangay Estefania on Saturday.
The suspects were facing criminal charges like robbery with violence or intimidation, arson, murder, and multiple counts of attempted murder, police said.
Taole said the suspects were forcibly nabbed inside a restaurant in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental at around 1:30 p.m.
The suspects were blindfolded and dragged to a vehicle, Taole said.
They were also subjected to interrogation without a legal aide, she added.
Police said they recovered a .45-caliber pistol with bullets and a hand grenade from the suspects but according to Singson-Dagatan, they were planted.
Taole said the restaurant owner reported the abduction to the local police but he was told that the incident was a legitimate police operation.
The suspects, on the other hand, denied that they were Martinez or Cayon. They also said there were no warrants of arrest issued against them.
Taole said she demanded from police officers the arrest warrants but they were not able to present her any.
The officers referred her to the military, Taole said.
“Because it was already late in the evening that Saturday, we opted to just return the next day but we were surprised that my clients were already gone” Taole said. “First, they made an illegal arrest. Then they transported my clients illegally without informing us.”
According to Singson-Dagatan, the suspects were transported to Camp Came via helicopter around 11:30 p.m. on Saturday.
The suspects arrived past 2 a.m. on Oct. 22, Singson-Dagatan added.
Meanwhile, Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa considers the suspects’ arrest as a “huge blow” to the CPP-NPA.
“I am certain that the capture of the two officials will deal a great blow to the CPP-NPA group,” dela Rosa said in a news conference at Camp Crame on Tuesday.
“Since they are a huge part of the group, we expect na baka magkaroon ng retaliatory attacks so we are preparing,” dela Rosa added.
According to the police, the suspects were arrested in Barangay Dulao, Bago City, Negros Occidental and they were charged with illegal possession of firearms and explosives in Kabankalan City.
“We cannot be constrained, we cannot be hostaged by the impending resumption of peace talks from arresting them, because they have a warrant of arrest,” dela Rosa said.
President Rodrigo Duterte has earlier said the military knows the CPP-NPA is actively trying to destabilize the government.
Duterte has suspended peace talks with the rebels in May, citing continuing offensives of rebels against government troops./PN
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