From the Visayan Daily Star (Jul 1, 2023): Courts have spoken on conviction of top rebel leaders – Army general (By GILBERT P. BAYORAN)
Former top Negros rebel leaders, Frank Fernandez (right) and his wife, Cleofe Lagtapon, recently convicted by a Taguig court for illegal possession of firearms.
The court have spoken. Let’s respect the rule of law.
The statement was made yesterday by Lt. Gen. Benedict Arevalo, AFP Visayas Command chief, in the wake of conviction of priest-turned-rebel Frank Fernandez and his wife, Cleofe, by the court for illegal possession of firearms.
Human rights alliance Karapatan condemned the conviction of Fernandez and his wife, Cleofe Lagtapon. The Philippine Army reports the couple as the former secretary of the Komiteng Rehiyonal Negros/Cebu/Bohol/Siquijor (KR-NCBS), and his deputy, respectively, while Karapatan claims they are consultants of the National Democratic Front.
Fernandez, 75, and Lagtapon, 65, however, were acquitted of the charge of illegal possession of explosives and violation of the Comelec gun ban by the Taguig City Regional Trial Court Branch 266, according to Karapatan. Their co-accused, Ge-Ann Perez, was acquitted of all charges.
Arevalo, who was the commander of the Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade when Army intelligence operatives from Negros, in coordination with the police, arrested Fernandez and Lagtapon in Liliw, Laguna on March, 24, 2019, said that calling the two former Negros top rebel leaders as NDF consultants “is just a deception and cover story to evade the law.”
People do not believe anymore in the lies and propaganda of bogus human right advocates, and let it be that way, the Army general said, adding “we all know who Fernandez and Lagtapon are: leaders of the terrorist organization CPP-NPA-NDF.”
Two months ago, the successor of Fernandez as KR-NCBS secretary – Rogelio Posadas – was killed in an encounter with Army soldiers in Binalbagan, Negros Occidental, several months after its regional commander, Romeo Nanta, also died in a gunbattle in neighboring Himamaylan City.
Arevalo called on NPA remnants in Negros Island to lay down their arms and go back to the folds of the law, so as not to end up in two possibilities: die in armed encounters, or rot in jail, just like their two leaders.
https://visayandailystar.com/courts-have-spoken-on-conviction-of-top-rebel-leaders-army-general/
The court have spoken. Let’s respect the rule of law.
The statement was made yesterday by Lt. Gen. Benedict Arevalo, AFP Visayas Command chief, in the wake of conviction of priest-turned-rebel Frank Fernandez and his wife, Cleofe, by the court for illegal possession of firearms.
Human rights alliance Karapatan condemned the conviction of Fernandez and his wife, Cleofe Lagtapon. The Philippine Army reports the couple as the former secretary of the Komiteng Rehiyonal Negros/Cebu/Bohol/Siquijor (KR-NCBS), and his deputy, respectively, while Karapatan claims they are consultants of the National Democratic Front.
Fernandez, 75, and Lagtapon, 65, however, were acquitted of the charge of illegal possession of explosives and violation of the Comelec gun ban by the Taguig City Regional Trial Court Branch 266, according to Karapatan. Their co-accused, Ge-Ann Perez, was acquitted of all charges.
Arevalo, who was the commander of the Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade when Army intelligence operatives from Negros, in coordination with the police, arrested Fernandez and Lagtapon in Liliw, Laguna on March, 24, 2019, said that calling the two former Negros top rebel leaders as NDF consultants “is just a deception and cover story to evade the law.”
People do not believe anymore in the lies and propaganda of bogus human right advocates, and let it be that way, the Army general said, adding “we all know who Fernandez and Lagtapon are: leaders of the terrorist organization CPP-NPA-NDF.”
Two months ago, the successor of Fernandez as KR-NCBS secretary – Rogelio Posadas – was killed in an encounter with Army soldiers in Binalbagan, Negros Occidental, several months after its regional commander, Romeo Nanta, also died in a gunbattle in neighboring Himamaylan City.
Arevalo called on NPA remnants in Negros Island to lay down their arms and go back to the folds of the law, so as not to end up in two possibilities: die in armed encounters, or rot in jail, just like their two leaders.
https://visayandailystar.com/courts-have-spoken-on-conviction-of-top-rebel-leaders-army-general/
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.