Cops, soldiers nab 4 more activists

By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent . 

AUTHORITIES arrested four more activists on suspicion that they are members of the New People’s Army in a joint operation of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, Armed Forces, and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency in Villanueva town, Misamis Oriental on Wednesday evening.

Misamis Oriental police spokesperson Insp. Princess Joy Velarde identified the four suspected guerrillas as Jerry Basahon, Gerald Basahon, Marivic Colita, Mylene Colita, and two minors.

The minors were turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development while the four alleged rebels are currently held at CIDG’s detention facility inside Camp Evangelista in Barangay Patag, this city.

The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas in northern Mindanao protested. The group’s spokesman, Michael Pineda, vehemently denied that the four are members of the NPA.

Rather, he said, those arrested are members of a farmers’ rights group Misamis Oriental Farmers Association (Mofa), an organization affiliated with the KMP.

Jerry Basahon is the chairman of Mofa while Gerald Basahon is a member of the group’s council. The two Colitas are staff members of Mofa.

“Dili na sila mga rebelde,” Pineda said.

Their arrest came following Monday’s apprehension of two other rights activists — Jomorito Goaynon and Ireneo Udarbe — who were accused of being “top NPA leaders” by Camp Alagar. Goaynon and Udarbe have been charged with possession of illegal firearms, an explosive, and subversive documents, an accusation their lawyer said was a lie.

“Mao na kini ang resulta sa nationwide crackdown sa mga farmers. Walay seguro nga basin sa sunod adlaw, ako na sad ilang dakpon ug tamnan ug mga ebedensiya,” said Pineda.

He said officials of KMP, Mofa, and relatives of the arrested farmer-activists have sought the help of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) yesterday morning. 

Insp. Velarde said a team composed of soldiers, police officers and Nica personnel arrested the suspects during a raid in Barangay Looc, Villanueva town.

She said the raid was based on a search warrant issued by a Cagayan de Oro court.

Velarde said the suspects were caught with a grenade, a landmine and a caliber .45 pistol. She said documents were also seized from the suspects.

Pineda said those arrested are officials and staff members of Mofa and have no access to any explosive or firearms as alleged by authorities.

Incidentally, the arrests of the Mofa officials and staff members came only hours after they took part in a news conference about Monday’s arrest of Kalumbay chairman Jomorito Goaynon and KMP regional chairman Ireneo Udarbe in Patag, this city.

Pineda said the house which the authorities raided was not an NPA hideout but the official headquarters of Mofa.

“Girentahan sa Mofa ang maong balay kay ilang gihimong opisina. Dili man to hideout sa NPA,” he said.

Velarde, for her part, said the four farmers were interrogated at the CIDG headquarters, and they would be charged with illegal possession of firearms and explosives, violating the election gun ban and rebellion.