THE National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL) on Friday, February 2, slammed the police for giving "wrong and misleading information" after the Police Regional Office (PRO)-Northern Mindanao released a statement announcing the arrest of an alleged communist leader on February 1.
Northern Mindanao police spokesperson Superintendent Lemuel Gonda, in a statement released to the media yesterday, said Rommel Dorango Salinas, an alleged top official of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), was arrested in a joint military-police operation in Barangay Aguada, Ozamiz City around 11 a.m. on Thursday.
The police statement said Salinas had a standing arrest warrant for frustrated murder and destructive arson issued by the Surigao City Regional Trial Court on October 21.
“Police Chief Superintendent Timoteo Pacleb, regional director of Police Regional Office 10, commended the operating personnel for the arrest of Rommel Salinas during the implementation of LIO manhunt Charlie and enhanced managing police operation. Furthermore, RD encouraged all personnel of the PRO 10 to continue its unwavering efforts to eradicate all forms of criminality in the regions and keep on reinvigorating its anti-criminality campaign,” the police’s statement said.
Left-leaning human rights watchdog Karapatan, however, pointed out that Salinas had already been arrested in May 2017.
"Ipapaalala lang po namin sa authorities na inaresto n'yo na po si Rommel Salinas na NDFP consultant last May 11, 2017 together with Bishop Carlos Morales, his wife(Morales’), and his driver. So ano ito? Bolahan na lang, gaguhan na lang. Pasensya na ha. We are very sure that this person is a victim of illegal arrest," Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay said.
Salinas was arrested last year at a checkpoint in Barangay Gango, Ozamiz City, where police said they recovered from him an MK2 hand grenade, knife, communication gadgets, a map and P80,000 cash.
Asked for clarification, PRO-10 spokesperson Superintendent Lemuel Gonda at about 5 am Friday quoted a supposed spot report narrating the supposed joint operations of Ozamis City Police Station, Army's 10th Infantry Batallion, and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-10 (CIDG) which led to the ‘arrest’ of Salinas.
"Arrested person was brought to Bureau of Jail and Management and Penology at barangay Tinago, Ozamis City for proper disposition," Gonda said.
But Senior Inspector Julie Garcia, police spokesperson of Misamis Occidental, finally clarified that police “only served the suspect's two arrest warrants” after the court hearing last Thursday.
Garcia said he was not "arrested" as he is already in detention since May last year.
Government is conducting a crackdown against the communist rebels following the termination of the peace talks.
On Wednesday, January 31, police arrested National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) consultant Rafael Baylosis and alleged New People's Army member Guillermo Roque in Quezon City over charges of illegal possession of firearms.
Their arrest came more than a month after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the termination of the peace talks due to the continued attacks made by the NPA, CPP's armed wing, against the government forces amid the talks.
Duterte also tagged the CPP-NPA as terrorists. (With SunStar Philippines)