BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Apolinario Gatmaitan Command of the New People’s Army slammed the series of raids initiated by the police and Army soldiers in three houses in Brgy. San Antonio, Himamaylan City, that led to the arrest on March 3 of two farmer-residents.
Rebel spokesperson Ka Juanito Magabanua issued a statement condemning the trumped up charges against Salvador Carpentero and Jilian Delfin, who were arrested during the joint operations of the 94th Infantry Battalion and the Himamaylan police.
The arrest of Carpentero, an alleged rebel courier, and Delfin, who was also alleged as member of the regional education staff of the Komiteng Rehiyonal Negros/Cbu/Bohol/Siquijor yielded a .38 caliber revolver with six ammunition, a hand grenade, assorted medicines, 15 cellular phones, three chargers, ten 1.5-volt batteries, nine flash drives, and two flashlights, as reported by the Himamaylan police.
Magbanua claimed that Carpentero and Delfin were among the 100 farmers and innocent civilians in Negros Island, who are victims of “planting of evidence” by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and National Police.
Maj. Romeo Vargas, Himamaylan City police chief, yesterday said that they discovered that the real identity of Delfin is Liezl Ann Gomez, a graduate of the University of the Philippines –Cebu.
Vargas also said that Gomez was denied of bail by the court for illegal possession of explosives, while P120,000 bail has been recommended for Carpentero, for illegal possession of firearms.
On the other hand, he also reported that the court recommended P240,000 bail for Warren Lozano, an alleged NPA hitman, who was also arrested March 1 in Brgy. Buenavista, Himamaylan City, for illegal possession of firearms and explosives.
Vargas said that they are also exploring the filing of another complaint against Gomez for concealing her true identity.
Meanwhile, Magbanua called on the Himamaylan City government and human rights institutions to conduct an impartial investigation to the illegal arrest of Carpentero and Delfin.*
