Kin of ‘NPA’ couple decry red-tagging, ‘illegal’ arrest

CEBU, Philippines — Family members of a couple suspected of being members of the Communist Terrorist Group New People’s Army (CTG-NPA) has cried foul over the latter’s arrest.

Eulalia Camacho Pacanza, sister of Reynaldo Leuga Camacho, said the arrest was illegal because of the absence of a warrant of arrest.

“They were arrested without an arrest warrant. This is a clear injustice,” Eulalia said in the vernacular.

Reynaldo, 50, who also allegedly possesses six aliases, and his partner, Carmelita Geraldez Cañeda,48, were arrested by authorities on February 8 in Purok 7, Barangay Gulang, Getafe town, Bohol.

They were arrested by virtue of a warrant of arrest issued against them last November 29 for murder. Reynaldo is also accused of murder before the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 47 in Tagbilaran City.

Prior to the arrest, they were placed under surveillance for a month for the ambush and murder of Second Lieutenant Cue and 12 other Armed Forces of the Philippines members in Sagbayan town in the year 2000.

At yesterday’s press briefing organized by the Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Right (KARAPATAN)-Central Visayas, Eulalia said three army personnel barged into their house in the morning of February 8.

Eulalia said Reynaldo was not around when the army arrived.

When Reynaldo went back along with two other unidentified men, the army personnel immediately arrested the former, Eulalia recalled.

Carmelita reportedly volunteered to go with the army.

Eulalia also claimed the personnel opened their stockroom and “stole” their belongings, such as five units of cellular phones, a laptop and a massage therapy equipment.

She said though one of the personnel promised to return the phones.

Dennis Abarrientos, spokesperson of the leftist Task Force Karapatan - Central Visayas, said Carmelita, who just accompanied his husband, was then tagged as NPA’s financial officer.

Police Brigadier General Albert Ignatius Ferro, Police Regional Office-7 director, earlier said Carmelita and Reynaldo are the current National Finance Commission Operations Group for the Visayas of the CTG.

Reynaldo was also the secretary of the Kometing Rehiyonal Central Visayas, chief of the Central Visayas Regional Operational Command, and member of the National Operation Command, said Ferro.

The couple, Ferro said, is considered as high-ranking members of the NPA.

Pedro Cañeda, Carmelita’s brother, belied Ferro’s statement.

“My sister is not a member of any communist group,” he said in the vernacular.

Pedro said her sister works as caretaker of their fishpond in Bohol.

He believed someone is pinning down her sister due to a land dispute.

Pedro lambasted the army and police for their poor intelligence and investigation.

Abarrientos said the couple’s neighbors and other witnesses could attest that no guns, bullets, grenades or any contraband were found in their home, contrary to the police’s claims.

He said Karapatan will assist the couple’s family members in filing charges against the authorities over the false allegations.

They are also set to ask help from the Commission on Human Rights.  KQD (FREEMAN)