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Wednesday, February 11, 2004
Young man with P1.25-M an NPA courier: police
By Rex C. Otero
DAVAO CITY -- A man held for questioning for carrying a huge amount of money was reportedly a "courier" of the New People's Army (NPA) operating in Bukidnon, police officials said Tuesday.
Chief Insp. Aaron Aquino of the Regional Mobile Group (RMG) 11 said the suspect, 20-year-old Avelino Palomado, alias Ka Toto, of Kamansilis, Matanao in Davao del Sur, was recruited to the communist movement in November last year.
He was on a mission to deliver the money, amounting to P1.25 million, to an NPA front operating in Davao del Sur when held by elements of Task Force Davao at Davao City Overland Transport Terminal (Dcott) in Ecoland.
Palomado admitted during the interrogation that he was a finance courier of Front 51 of the NPA operating in Bukidnon.
The admission came after no one picked up the money from him in Digos while being escorted by police and military operatives.
Palomado also admitted he was with two other men at the bus station, but the two slowly disappeared into the crowd when the TFD men asked him to open his bag for inspection.
He insisted he does not know the men who were supposed to get the money from him and only says that they were two men riding a motorcycle.
Aquino said the money is believed to be "extortion money or proceeds from PTC (permit to campaign) collection."
NPA imposes PTC fees on political candidates who seek to campaign in the so-called NPA-controlled areas.
"He (Palomado) does not know where the money came from. It is believed to be an extortion money and there is also a possibility that it was a PTC (permit to campaign) fee," Aquino said.
He said Palomado also identified his two other companions as Ka Marlon and Ka Roderick.
"Hindi lang siya nag-iisa. Marami silang mga couriers (He is not the only one, there are several other couriers). Their job is to accumulate and distribute money to the other (NPA) groups," Aquino said.
Palomado stirred suspicion when he was about to ride a bus to Digos City when checked by a group led by Staff Sgt. Romero Soriano of the 7th Special Forces of the TFD.
Bundles of cash were placed inside four plastic bags in Palomado's backpack.
Palomada said he was just sent by his employer (name withheld) to deliver the money to Digos.
He added that this was the seventh time he was sent on such an errand, although this was the first time the amount was that big. Palomado said he is a worker in a banana and pineapple plantation in Maramag, Bukidnon.
Aquino said the money is now under the custody of RMG "until the court orders us to present it."
Palomado was allowed to proceed to Digos City Monday since the authorities could not find any reason to hold him in detention. But, he was escorted to Digos City by police and military men.
While authorities could not find anything illegal with him, they said the huge amount of hand-carried cash was reason enough to interrogate Palomado.
Earlier, Palomada claimed he worked for a banana and pineapple plantation in Maramag, Bukidnon, and it was his employer who sent him to deliver the money to Digos.
(February 11, 2004 issue)
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