Nabbed rebel a ‘church worker’: Bayan

From the Visayan Daily Star (Oct10): Nabbed rebel a ‘church worker’: Bayan

The alleged rebel leader arrested in Bais City, Negros Oriental, is a church worker in Binalbagan, secretary general Christian Tuayon of Bayan-Negros insists.

Nilda Bertulano, alias Ka Frea, was intercepted Tuesday by police and military intelligence operatives in Brgy. Tamisu,Bais City. She has pending arrest warrants for murder and rebellion, on top of arson charges, that was able to post bail, after her arrest in La Carlota City, earlier.

In an interview with MBC Aksyon Radyo,Tuayon said the criminal complaints against Bertulano is part of the trumped-up charges filed by the military and police against leaders of progressive organizations, aimed to silence them from criticizing the government.

The military had linked Bertulano to the death of 1Lt. Archie Polenzo of the 62nd Infantry Battalion, who was killed in an encounter with suspected New People’s Army rebels in Sitio Aluyan, Brgy. Caduhaan. Cadiz City, a few years ago.

Tuayon, however, said in an interview with MBC Aksyon Radyo, that Bertulano, who was arrested in 2009, was still in jail, when Polenzo died the next year.

Other women charged for the death of Polenzo, who were arrested and cleared of charges, were Aniceta Rojo, also a church worker, militant groups claim, Sara Alvarez and Julia Tabat, alias Pinay, who died in an encounter last year in Candoni.

Earlier, Alvarez, a teacher, and Rojo also vehemently denied military and police claims, that they are members of the NPA.

Major Ray Tiongson of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, former rebels in Negros Oriental who have joined the mainstream society identified Bertulano as the commanding officer of the Front Operational Command of Larangang Gerilya 1 (FOC-LG1) that carried out various atrocities of the NPA operating in central Negros victimizing innocent civilians and destroying properties in the area.

Tiongson said the arson case filed against Bertulano stemmed from the burning of two transloading stations on March 16, 2008 in Brgy San Jose, Toboso, Negros Occidental where two cranes, four prime movers and a ten-wheeler truck of the Victorias Milling Corporation in Lopez Sugar Corp. were torched by the NPA.

He also claimed that Bertulano was among the NPA members who raided the La Libertad PNP station in Negros Oriental and carted away five M16 rifles, uniforms and personal belongings of the PNP personnel, on Nov. 2, 2008.

http://www.visayandailystar.com/2013/October/10/topstory8.htm