Tuesday, August 21, 2007 Bayan belies Franco’s claim vs 2 community workers By Gil Alfredo B. Severino
BAGONG Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) Secretary General Felipe Levy Gelle, Jr. Monday belied claims of Negros Occidental Police Provincial Director Rosendo Franco tagging two arrested community workers in Manapla town as members of the New People’s Army.
In a statement sent to Sun.Star-Bacolod, Gelle stressed that medical findings of contusions found in the bodies of Jeofrel Along and Michael Celeste were true and not fabricated.
Gelle said medical examinations was conducted at the Corazon L. Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH) which showed marks of M-16 rifle nozzle and the contusions as results of mauling.
Gelle claimed there was also a witness who saw the actual mauling and torture done by the Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPA-ABB) against Along and Celeste.
Both were said to be community organizers of the National Federation of Sugarcane Workers (NFSW) but Franco claimed the two are members of the NPA.
