Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Wanted rebel accompanying militant lawmaker nabbed for murder (9:38 a.m.)
MANILA -- Government forces have arrested an alleged New People’s Army (NPA) guerrilla wanted for murder while in the company of reelectionist Bayan Muna party-list Representative Teodoro Casiño in Ormoc City on Monday night, the military claimed.
Army spokesman Ernesto Torres said Casiño would not leave the company of the suspect, Vincent Borja, when accosted by a combined team of military and police personnel. Casiño accompanied the suspect while being transported to a military camp.
Torres said elements of the 19th Infantry Battalion (IB), backed up by local police personnel, served an arrest warrant on Borja for a pending charge of murder in the village of Linao at around 9 p.m.
Torres said Borja is identified with the Executive Committee of the communist movement’s Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee. Borja was taken to the
headquarters of the 801st Brigade in Burawin town in Leyte.
“He (Casino) would not leave the side of Borja so we took him with the suspect,” said Torres, adding however that Casiño is not being arrested because the
warrant was only for Borja.
Asked why was Casiño with Borja, Torres said: “Casino was there when we arrested the suspect. We don’t know.” (VR)
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