Charges yet to be filed vs NPA men

From the Sun Star-Davao (Apr 11): Charges yet to be filed vs NPA men

AUTHORITIES have yet to file charges before the City Prosecutor's Office against a high-ranking leader of the New People’s Army (NPA) and another suspected communisrt rebel who were arrested at a checkpoint in Barangay Sirawan in Toril in Davao City last week.

Facing charges for violation of Republic Act 9516 or The Illegal Possession of Firearms, Ammunition or Explosives, were Vincent Estrada, head of the regional instructor's bureau of the NPA’s ROC SMRC, and Zacarias delos Santos Mancia Jr.

Army's 10th Infantry Division spokesperson Lt. Vergel Lacambra, in a phone interview, said the two communist rebels are now detained at the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Davao Region (CIDG-11) jail facility. He added that the CIDG operatives will be the one to file the additional charges against them.

Members of the Task Force Davao (TFD) and Davao City Police Office (DCPO) arrested Estrada and Mancia at 9:20 p.m. of Tuesday. The two were onboard an Isuzu Bighorn SUV with plate number BDV-684 heading to Davao City when they were arrested at a checkpoint following a warrant of arrest.

Estrada and Mancia were found in possession of caliber .45 pistols, two fragmentation grenades, five units of cellular phones, documents and laptop. The division had recorded five high-ranking NPA leaders arrested in Davao Region since last 2014, Lacambra said.

Lacambra said Estrada was earlier charged with kidnapping and illegal detention at Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 3 in Nabunturan town in Compostela Valley, adding that he is a high-valued cadre which is difficult for the communist movement to replace.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/local-news/2015/04/11/charges-yet-be-filed-vs-npa-men-402018