More raps filed against NPA member

From the Sun Star-Davao (Mar 22): More raps filed against NPA member

CHARGES have continued to pile up against one of the most wanted New People's Army (AFP), this time for serious illegal detention after he was tagged in the abduction of three Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (Cafgu) personnel in Barangay Tambobong, Baguio District Davao City in 2012.

Facing serious illegal detention charges is NPA's Guerilla Front 54 member Roberto Castillote, who was identified at RTC Branch 16 as alias Ka Bobby.

He was charged for abducting Civilian Active Auxiliaries (CAAs) Artemio Canobas Sitoy, Romeo Bulod Bago and Tony Pandian, all residents of Barangay Tambobong, Baguio District.

Sitoy, in his affidavit, said the abduction happened on December 30, 2012 around 5 p.m. Sitoy was on his way home when he encountered a band of some 70 communist rebels.

Two rebels allegedly held him at gunpoint and took him to Castillote. The respondent told Sitoy to stop working as a Cafgu if he doesn't want any conflict.

Sitoy said he was held for an hour before Castillote ordered his release. In the affidavit, Bago also claimed he was abducted on December 30, 2012.

He was attending a birthday party of his relative when he was forcibly held by around 30 communist rebels under the command of Castillote.

Bago was also told to stop working for the government before he was released.

Pandian, for his part, said he was abducted on December 31, 2012 at 3 p.m. when he also encountered around 70 communist rebels. He tried to avoid them but was caught by two armed rebels. Pandian was about to be brought to Castillote but he managed to escape.

An arraignment was supposedly scheduled last Friday but RTC Branch 16 Judge Emmanuel Carpio postponed it to April 15 as Castillote refused to have the legal services from the Public Attorney's Office (PAO) and preferred lawyer Manuel Quibod to handle his case.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/local-news/2014/03/22/more-raps-filed-against-npa-member-334495