NPA official back at CPDRC, CentCom not ready yet

CEBU, Philippines - The detained official of the New People’s Army who was supposedly transferred to the Armed Forces of the Philippines Central Command last Wednesday will remain at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center instead, after the AFP refused to accept the detainee.

The AFP yesterday morning sent a letter to Judge Sylvia Paderanga of the Regional Trial Court Branch 25.

Lt. Col. Christopher Tampus, spokesperson of the CentCom, said their letter stated that they cannot accept the detainee, Ramon Patriarca, in their headquarters due to the lack of facilities and because they are not trained in handling prisoners.

Tampus said they were only informed of the transfer last Wednesday afternoon.

He said their stockade is not well-ventilated and handling a detainee is also not part of their job since they are not trained to do so.

“Dili pang-piniriso ang stockade gamay kaayo’g bintana maluoy ka sa naa sa sulod,” Tampus explained. (The stockade is not fit for prisoners. The windows are too small.)

Patriarca, who has been reportedly teaching his fellow detainees at the Danao City Jail about the rebel movement, was arrested last February 2009 for rebellion.

Patriarca, a former deputy secretary of the Komiteng Rehiyonal Sentral Bisayas and the finance officer and head of the NPA’s taxation bureau based in Negros Island, was arrested in Barangay Casili, Consolacion.

Judge Paderanga earlier issued the court order to transfer Patriarca to the Cent-Com stockade from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology-Danao City.

But Capitol security consultant Cesar Veloso said Ramon Patriarca will be transferred and detained at the Central Command by Monday according to Governor Gwendolyn Garcia’s orders. For the meantime, with Garcia’s approval, the political detainee is placed inside an isolation cell at the CPDRC.

With Patriarca back at CPDRC, at least 12 police officers are assigned to guard his cell, Veloso said.

“So that Ramon Patriarca will have no chance to escape especially that he is a political detainee,” Veloso said, naming the Special Reaction Unit and the Special Weapon and Tactics Team to guard Patriarca.

Veloso said CentCom would have enough time until Monday to prepare their stockade, which is currently filled with firearms and ammunitions.

The official said Patriarca is still on a hunger strike.

“He only asks for water. At any rate, that will make him survive,” Veloso said.  (FREEMAN)