Nabbed Butuan teacher not held incommunicado: PNP-Caraga

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 18. 2021): Nabbed Butuan teacher not held incommunicado: PNP-Caraga (By Alexander Lopez)

NOT INCOMMUNICADO. Brig. Gen. Romeo M. Caramat Jr. (right), director of the Police Regional Office in Caraga, presents in a press conference Thursday (March 18, 2021) Rosanilla B. Consad (center), who is facing an attempted homicide case and is suspected to be a member of the communist rebellion's underground movement in the region. Also attending the press conference is Ka Eric Almendras (right), a former cadre of the communist New People’s Army, confirmed Consad's affiliation with the rebels. (PNA photo by Alexander Lopez)

A teacher arrested for attempted homicide has not been held incommunicado or not allowed to communicate with other people, the chief of the Police Regional Office in Caraga (PRO-13) assured Thursday.

In a press conference here, Brig. Gen. Romeo M. Caramat, Jr. presented Rosanilla B. Consad to the public to disprove claims from left-leaning groups accusing the Philippine National Police (PNP) of preventing the suspect from communicating with anyone.

“We are presenting the arrested suspect now to disprove these false claims. Miss Consad is in good condition as she already had a medical check-up. Under the law, she is entitled to legal assistance of her choice,” Caramat said.

Police and military authorities arrested Consad, 54, at her residence in Rosewood Plains Subd., Villa Kananga here, by virtue of an arrest warrant issued by the Municipal Circuit Trial Court of Tubay-Santiago in Agusan del Norte.

Former New People's Army member "Ka Eric" Almendras, during a press conference, said Consosad is a member of the Katipunan ng Gurong Makabayan (Kaguma), one of the underground organizations under the National Democratic Front (NDF) of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

Almendras said Consad is also an active member of the Regional White Area Committee (RWAC) of the NPA's North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC.

Caramat said Consad is also the assistant principal of San Vicente National High School in this city and is a member of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) and the women’s group Gabriela.

Consad was involved in the shooting of Private Frist Class Junrel Cornelio and CAFGU Active Auxiliary Emiliano Sajol, Jr. in Barangay Poblacion 2, Santiago, Agusan del Norte, in November last year, he said.

According to Almendras, Consad's group, Kaguma, is tasked to recruit teachers both in public and private schools.

“Kaguma’s front organization is the ACT that openly recruits teachers to join their ranks. Eventually, ACT members are recruited to join the underground Kaguma in the armed struggle to topple the government,” Almendras said.

ACT, he said, considers Caraga Region as an "expansion area" of ACT, as the group is still recovering from the absence of full-timers to work in the recruitment and strengthening of the organization.

ACT has around 100 active members in the region with 20 to 30 active members now working under Kaguma, he added.

The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1134017