Teodoro: Filipino-American activist liable under RP, US laws if...

MANILA, Philippines - Filipino-American activist Melissa Roxas could be held liable under Philippine and United States laws if she is proven to have joined the activities of the communist New People’s Army (NPA), Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said yesterday.

“She has criminal liabilities under US and Philippine laws if there would be enough evidence to prove that she took part in the activities of the NPA, which is in the US list of foreign terrorist organizations,” Teodoro said.

Earlier, a video showing Roxas undergoing weapons training in an NPA camp was released by party-list Reps. Jovito Palparan and Pastor Alcover.

Roxas has denied that she was the one in the video and called for a stop to its circulation, saying it violates her right to privacy and takes away the focus from the main issue which is her alleged abduction and torture by suspected military agents last May.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said it would help build up a criminal case against Roxas for her possible involvement in several NPA operations against government troops.

Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner, AFP spokesman, said they would help gather evidence that would link Roxas to several attacks against troops of the Army’s 48th Infantry Battalion in Aurora in 2006 and 2007.

“She could be charged with murder, attempted murder, or if there are properties destroyed, she could also be charged for that,” he said.

Two supposed former NPA comrades of Roxas surfaced yesterday to support claims that the Fil-Am activist was indeed an active communist fighter.

Slated to be presented by Palparan yesterday afternoon, former rebels Lucio Omania and Herbert Fabro alleged they, along with Roxas, were NPA regulars based in the Sierra Madre mountains in 2006 and took part in a number of atrocities in Central Luzon. – With Jaime Laude