Armed ‘spy’ poses as lumad, caught with pistol

By ALWEN SARILING
Correspondent

AN armed man believed to be a military intelligence “asset” disrupted the launch of an island-wide network of human rights defenders here at around 4 pm yesterday.

Conference organizers suspected something was off with the suspect, Rolando Gomonit Sr., because he registered using a different name, “Allan.”
When he was cornered, the suspect claimed he was a member of a lumad group Kalumbay. But lumad leaders present in the conference did not know him.

However, when the police officers responded to the conference organizers’ call, they found out through the suspect’s identification card his real name.

Gomonit was arrested for carrying a caliber .45 pistol and three ammo magazines. Iglesia Filipina Independiente Bishop Felixberto Calang said this was the second time that Gomonit spied on human rights advocates during their fora.

Calang said Gomonit was apprehended last year when he also disrupted a peace forum of IFI in Barangay Bulua, this city. In Gomonit’s confiscated ID, he is supposed to be an HEO bulldozer operator for the International Labor Force Skills Mastery Institute.

Princess Galendez of the conference’s secretariat told The Gold Star Daily, “He was asking a lot of questions about what was being discussed inside the conference room.” (alwen sariling)