Court allows CPP-NPA Bicol head to post bail

LEGAZPI CITY — After his capture five months ago, the regional head of the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) is now free again.

This, after the court allowed him to post bail due to what it claimed was the prosecution’s failure to present solid evidence against Cesar Callubad, head of the CPP-NPA Bicol Regional Party Committee.

Callubad, 40, was arrested on Aug. 10 last year on charges of attempted murder in the municipal trial court of San Lorenzo Ruiz, Camarines Norte, and rebellion in the regional trial court of Irosin, Sorsogon.

Irosin RTC Judge Fred Jimena granted Callubad’s petition for bail last Jan. 9, citing the failure of the prosecution to present strong evidence against him and the continued absence of its witnesses.

Callubad walked free after posting P200,000 bail.

Maj. Ronal Rosario, head of the 21st Civil Relations Unit based at Camp General Simeon Ola, bewailed the court’s move.

"Captured NPA rebels are taking advantage of the gaps in our judicial system," he said, adding that the CPP-NPA has a strong paralegal support system in Sorsogon.

Rosario cited the case of Rolando Mustasa, commander of the NPA’s Guerrilla Front 80 in Sorsogon, who was captured in Barangay Carriedo in Gubat, Sorsogon in 2002.

Mustasa, according to Rosario, was able to buy his freedom after a local politician paid his bail.

Callubad was detained in the Sorsogon provincial jail in Sorsogon City after his capture in Barangay Planza in San Lorenzo Ruiz, Camarines Norte.

Rosario said police and Army intelligence operatives arrested Callubad after he arrived from Manila together with several companions. The rebel leader’s group was on board a red Suzuki MC vehicle.

According to Rosario, Callubad met with top officers of the CPP-NPA in Manila to discuss how to support the destabilization moves against the administration of President Arroyo.

He said Callubad’s group dropped by Camarines Norte to investigate a misencounter between two NPA units in Presentacion, Camarines Sur that left 16 guerrillas dead.

Seized from Callubad were a caliber .45 pistol, a cellular phone and a laptop computer which contained data on the operations of the CPP-NPA in the Bicol region.