FIVE alleged members of the New People’s Army (NPA) were released from detention on October 24, two days after they were arrested at Barangay Cod-cod in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental on October 22.
Police records showed that Roberto Nemeño, 26; Jimboy Padilla, 18; Remy Fenis, 25; Henry Nemeño, 30; and Jimmy Dela Cruz, 20, all residents of the said village, were released at 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday after the lapse of the 36-hour reglementary period.
Personnel of the 79th Infantry Battalion (IB) led by Major Alex Elnar, executive officer of the Philippine Army, together with the Special Action Force arrested the suspects after they were sighted carrying improvised firearms while military troops were conducting combat patrol operations at the said village at 7:30 p.m. on Monday.
Authorities recovered from them three backpacks containing assorted medical paraphernalia, subversive documents entitled "Batakang Kurso Pampulitiko Militar (BKPM), six homemade short firearms, five improvised shotguns, 200 rounds live ammunition of 7.62 caliber, 10 live ammunition of 12 gauge shotgun, two hand grenades, and an improvised explosive device.
Superintendent D' Artagnan Katalbas Jr., city police chief, said the suspects were released after the military troops failed to immediately bring them to the police station for the inquest proceedings of the criminal complaint.
That's why they opted to release them but the arresting officers already executed their affidavits and will pursue the filing of the case for illegal possession of firearms, he added.
Katalbas said the city police only facilitated the documentation of their release.
“Our station also subjected them to a medical examination to ensure that they are in good physical condition when they arrived and left our station,” he added.