Raps readied vs. RPA-ABB men in W. Visayas
Police and military officials in Western Visayas said they will file a formal complaint against the Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPA-ABB) before the peace pact monitoring committee for violations committed during the election period.
Maj. Gen. Jovenal Narcise, commander of the Army's 3rd Infantry Division, said there was proof that the RPA-ABB on Panay Island violated the election gun ban after several of its members and leaders were caught by soldiers and policemen carrying high-powered firearms.
Narcise said the RPA-ABB also threatened and forced residents and the hinterland villages to support particular candidates.
The Army's 79th Infantry Battalion arrested RPA-ABB members in Laua-an town in separate incidents in Lauan-an town in Antique and in San Joaquin town, Iloilo several days before the May 14 elections.
The soldiers confiscated five M-6 rifles, one M-4 rifle, one homemade shotgun, two hand grenades and assorted ammunitions in San Joaquin and two M16 rifles, one homemade shotgun, four homemade caliber, .38 revolver pistols and ammunitions in Antique.
Policemen also arrested Demetrio Capilistique alias Ka Hugo, RPA-ABB commander in Panay, and three others in a checkpoint in Sta. Barbara town last May 10.
They were arrested after the police recovered from them two Baby Armalite rifles, two .45 caliber pistols, a 9-mm pistol, a .22-caliber hand gun, two hand grenades, three rifle grenades, a bullet proof vest and hundreds of rounds ammunition.
Cash amounting to P300,000 cash was also found inside a bag inside the passenger jeepney that the four were riding.
Capilastique and his companions were released after they posted bail but police has filed charges of illegal possession of firearms and violation of the gun ban.
Narcise said all the firearms except one had no permits and no exemption from the Commission on Elections.
He said the carrying of high-powered firearms by the members of the group violated provisions in the peace agreement that only 100 short firearms will be permitted to be carried by RPA-ABB members and leaders and only in areas agreed upon by the government and the RPA-ABB.
But Ka Rolly, a member of the Panay regional committee of the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa-Pilipinas (RPMP), the political wing of the RPA-ABB, denied that they have committed violations.
"Our carrying of firearms was within the provisions of the peace pact. They were not displayed and were not used for provocative acts," he said in a telephone interview.
He said it is up to the courts to decide if the election gun ban can supersede the provisions of the peace agreement on the carrying for firearms by their members.
The RPA-ABB broke away from Communist Party of the Philippine-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) over ideological differences shortly after 1992.
But it is now faced with a bitter split between factions led by the Manila-based Nilo de la Cruz and RPA national commander Stephem Paduano, alias Carapali Lualhati, based in Negros Occidental.
Narcise also pointed out that the serial numbers of the confiscated firearms were either defaced or tampered.
"They are supposed to register their firearms but we could not trace them because of the tampered serial numbers," Narcise said in an interview.
Chief Supt. Wilfredo Dulay, Western Visayas police director, said in an earlier interview that said they have received complaints from politicians and residents that the RPA-ABB members are extorting money and are harassing barangay captains and villagers to support particular candidates.
Narcise and Dulay said they will raise complaints before the Joint Enforcement Monitoring Committee (JEMC) and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process.
The five-member JEMC, composed of two representatives from both panels, is tasked to monitor and oversee the enforcement of the provisions of the agreement.