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Thursday, September 07, 2006
NPA ‘extortionists target’ 8 more firms
Eight more companies were targeted by the rebel movement for extortion, but the plan was foiled after the arrest of two suspected rebel leaders last Friday, a top police official said yesterday.
Senior Supt. Jose Jorge Corpuz, regional officer of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) 7, said these companies are based in the cities of Cebu and Lapu-Lapu and in the towns of Minglanilla, Naga and San Fernando in southern Cebu.
The plan to extort from these companies, however, did not push through after the arrest of Gerald Lavadia, 34, and Sharon Abangan, 33.
The information, according to Corpuz, was revealed by Lavadia and Abangan during the tactical interrogation.
Meanwhile, Commission on Human Rights Regional Director Alejandro Alonso, in an ABS-CBN TV Patrol Cebu report, said they will investigate the circumstances of the arrest.
Abangan’s father Esmeraldo had earlier raised suspicion that his son was tortured because of the wound and bruise on his forehead.
Corpuz denied Lavadia and Abangan were tortured.
He said Lavadia knows about the extortion activities because apart from being the alleged secretary of the Central Visayas Regional Party Committee’s (CVRPC) education and propaganda commission, he is also the deputy head of the taxation and finance bureau of the movement.
However, even with the arrest of the two, Corpuz said the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the local government units in Cebu and the business sector have decided to come up with measures to counter the extortion activities.
The measures, which included the creation of a committee, came out after a closed-door dialogue with the police and military officials and the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) last Tuesday night.
The CCCI also agreed to coordinate with authorities in case a member-company is targeted for extortion by the rebels.
Corpuz said with the information revealed by Lavadia and Abangan, they are building an airtight case against those involved in the extortion activities and the leaders in the CVRPC.
They will include Roy Erecre, the reported secretary of the executive committee of the CVRPC, and Tranquilito del Mundo, the reported regional council member of the National Democratic Front-Central Visayas and the one who allegedly signed the extortion letter sent to a cement company in San Fernando, Cebu.
The CIDG 7 earlier filed charges of rebellion, robbery with intimidation and illegal possession of firearms against Lavadia and Abangan, and an additional charge of illegal possession of explosives against Lavadia before the Talisay City Prosecutors Office.
Corpuz revealed yesterday that Abangan has a standing warrant of arrest for attempted murder in Talisay City.
Corpuz and Senior Supt. Augusto Marquez Jr., chief of the Regional Intelligence and Investigation Division, said lawyer Licinius Abadiana of the Regional Inter-agency Legal Action Group (RIALAG), created by National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales, arrived in Cebu yesterday.
Marquez said Abadiana, who is the designated RIALAG legal counsel for Regions 6, 7 and 8, will help in coming up with strategies to strengthen the cases against the suspected rebel leaders and those involved in the extortion activities.
Abadiana will also look into the possible liability of three party-list representatives earlier mentioned by Lavadia and Abangan, who allegedly gave aid from their Priority Development Assistance Fund for the rebel movement. (JST)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (September 7, 2006 issue)
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