THE Leonardo Panaligan Command of the New People's Army (NPA) condemned the arrest warrants issued against Moises Padilla Vice Mayor Ella Garcia-Yulo and her husband, Mathias Segundo Feria Yulo III, by the court.
In a statement issued by NPA through its spokesperson Ka JB Regalado, the rebels said that based on the pattern and circumstances on the cases, Garcia-Yulo and her husband are also victims of planted evidence and fabricated allegations.
La Carlota City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 63 Judge Cyclamen Jison-Fernandez issued the arrest warrant on August 20 with no bail recommended against the couple for violation of Section 3 of Republic Act (RA) 9516 or the illegal possession of explosives.
Another arrest warrant was issued by the same judge against the couple for RA 10591 or Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act. The court had set a bail of P200, 000 each for their provisional liberty.
The cases stemmed from the arrest of the couple in a checkpoint by the Moises Padilla Municipal Police Station on December 10, 2017.
The rebels said that the confiscated two fragmentation grenades, several firearms, and suspected illegal drugs from the couple were only based on the allegations of the police which were denied by the couple.
"It's very clear that the alleged evidence was only planted, malicious and fabricated against the couple," Regalado said.
He added that what happened to the Yulo couple is like what happened to Senior Police Officer 1 (SPO1) Joshua Barile whose house was raided by the police, adding it is not far that an arrest warrant will also soon be issued against him.
Other cases of the same pattern, the rebels claimed, were the ambush against Adrian Villaflor of Moises Padilla and threats against La Castellana Mayor Rhumyla Mangilimutan.
The NPA alleged that only one person is behind “all the drawings and too much politicking.”