NPA nurturing criminals: Army

From the Visayan Daily Star (Mar 10): NPA nurturing criminals: Army

The word war continues to heat up between the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division and Negrense rebel priest Frank Fernandez, who was accused of recruiting minors and teenagers, and training them to become criminals.

Brig. Gen. Dinoh Dolina, 3 rd Infantry Division commander, yesterday said that the involvement of six communist rebels, including two minors and 21-year-old amazon Myles Albasin, in a robbery incident and in threatening a barangay chairman and two others on Feb. 16 in Brgy.Panciao, Manjuyod, Negros Oriental, confirms the CPP NPA recruitment and training of innocent civilians, including children, to take part in criminal activities.

Albasin and five others were captured last week by 62 nd Infantry Battalion soldiers, following an encounter in Mabinay, Negros Oriental.

The apprehension of the six suspected rebels yielded six high-powered firearms, explosives and subversive documents, that confirmed also their involvement in the ransacking of the house of Panciao barangay chairman Mario Gonzales, where Albasin has kept the record of the incident, Brig. Gen. Eliezer Losañes, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, in a statement, said.

Albasin and her group carted away two shotguns and a 357 caliber revolver from the residence of Gonzales, who, with former CAFGU member Anoy Catubig and barangay tanod chief Andoy Balderas were also threatened by rebels, the military said.

Dolina said the CPP-NPA is taking away the promising future of young innocent children and their chance to uplift their social status.

Fernandez, in a statement issued, condemned the military raid, illegal arrest and detention of Albasin and the five others.

He maintained that no encounter had taken place.

Charges for illegal possession of firearms and explosives have already been filed by the police against six arrested rebel suspects.

http://www.visayandailystar.com/2018/March/10/topstory6.htm