Military checking if Anakpawis party-list funding NPA activities

August 4, 2017

The Armed Forces of the Philippines is checking a possible link of the two arrested suspected members of the communist New People's Army with the party-list group Anakpawis to ensure the government's resources are being used against the state, its spokesman said on Friday.

In the "Mindanao Hour" briefing in Pasay City, Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said one of the two arrested rebels in Bukidnon province recently bore the ID of the party-list group.

"So we need to ascertain from the group whether this individual is really part of their group," he said, noting the two arrested individuals were siblings and one of them showed the Anakpawis ID to the law enforcers.

"So this is something that we have to reach out to the party-list concerned and make sure that they have not been using their resources to fund the activities of this group," Padilla said.

In 2017, Congress received P15.44 billion budget. Every office in the House of Representatives has its respective allocation.

State securities arrested Ruel Cololot, alleged bomb expert, and Ramil Cololot last Wednesday during an encounter in Kiburiao village, Quezon town, Bukidnon.

The Anakpawis ID was recovered from Ruel.

Anakpawis is a left-leaning party-list group formerly represented in Congress by Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano. Celerina Monte/DMS