NCRPO not aware two arrested were rights groups members

November 1, 2019

The acting chief of the National Capital Region Police on Friday said they are not aware the two persons arrested Thursday were members of rights groups.


In a press briefing, Police Brigadier General Debold Sinas said they were just asked by the Philippine National Police- Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) to assist them in implementing a search warrant for illegal possession of firearms and explosives.


“Yesterday, CIDG and CIDU-NCR (Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit) applied for a search warrant for illegal possession of firearms and illegal possession of explosive. So they applied based on the report (they have),” Sinas said.


“What the MPD (Manila Police District) know, what we know, this is just a mere violation of firearms and explosives,” he added.


Sinas said the police station just got curious after these persons from Gabriela held a rally in front of their office.


“So we tasked our intel unit to coordinate with our allied units to find out their background,” he said.


“Right now, we still don’t have their complete details if they really a member of the group, registered or what. What the MPD did is to only implement the approved search warrant. If they say they were member (of that group) we don’t know about that. We only found out because they rally in front of MPD,” he said.


In a statement, Karapatan claimed the PNP illegally arrested three members from different militant groups in a separate operation in Bacolod City and in Manila.


They identified the arrested couple in Manila as Cora Agovida of Gabriela Metro Manila and Michael Tan Bartolome of Kadamay Metro Manila after police forcibly entered their home around 5 am Thursday.


The group added authorities raided the offices of Gabriela, Bayan Muna and the National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW) in Bacolod City in the afternoon of the same day.


According to a police report, they conducted simultaneous operations in their safe house for illegal possession of firearms and explosives


Recovered were assorted firearms and two grenades.


In a text message to the Daily Manila Shimbun, CIDG spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Grace Madayag said all operations were conducted legally.


“We have reports regarding service of search warrants for illegal possession of firearms. They were not illegally arrested,” Madayag said.


Sinas said there is no crackdown against militant groups.


“It’s just an ordinary implementation and it is covered by search warrant,” he said.


“If they are really (belonging to the) underground movement, so be it but the case now is for illegal possession of firearms and explosives,” he said.  Ella Dionisio/DMS