• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Three individuals facing charges for violation of Republic Act 10168, or the Terrorism and Financing Prevention and Suppression Act, were separately arrested by police and military composite teams in Negros Occidental Jan. 2.
Those arrested are being alleged by authorities to be affiliated with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) and its allied front organizations in Negros Island.
In a statement, the Human Rights Advocates Negros (HRAN) condemned the arrest of Federico Salvilla, Perla Pavillar, and Dharyll Albanez, and dismissed the complaints against them as “trumped up charges”.
HRAN maintained that Salvilla, Pavillar, and Albanez are development workers of the Paghidaet sa Kauswagan Development Group Inc., a civil society organization based in Kabankalan City that serves the marginalized sectors in southern Negros.
But according to a report of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, warrants of arrest have been issued by the court against the accused, and there is a recommended P200,000 bail for Albanez, who was arrested in Barangay 1 Poblacion, La Carlota City.
HRAN also reported that Salvilla was arrested in Pulupandan while Jaleco was apprehended in Cauayan, all in Negros Occidental.
Also charged with similar offenses were Clarissa Ramos alias “Yesha Ramos”, and Felipe Levy Gelle, with aliases “Ipe” and “Levy Bantayan”, who remain at-large, as of press time.
Albanez and Salvilla were charged with two counts of violation of Section 8 of RA 10168 and Pavillar with three counts of the same case, the HRAN said.
P/Col. Rainerio de Chavez, police provincial director of Negros Occidental, described the arrest of the three suspects as a boost to the government’s anti-terrorism campaign.
Last Dec. 3, the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed six counts of terrorism financing charges against the five individuals before the Iloilo Regional Trial Court Branch 31, which is the designated terrorism court in Western Visayas.
HRAN said that it is coordinating with the families and lawyers of the accused.
“These cases underwent preliminary investigation before the DOJ. All parties were given an opportunity to be heard, pursuant to the rules on preliminary investigation, P/Col. Gilbert Gorero, chief of the Police Regional Office-6 Operations Division, said.
“This case is new for everyone. The purpose of the investigation and filing of charges is to cut their source of funds,” he added.
Gorero said that nongovernment organizations are usually used as fronts of the CPP-NPA-NDF. | GB
