AFP pushes probe on party-list’s links to NPA

The military is pushing for a thorough investigation on the alleged link between the AnakPawis party-list group and suspected New People’s Army (NPA) bomb experts recently captured in Bukidnon.

Authorities arrested Ruel Calolot, a suspected NPA member who is believed to be an expert in assembling improvised explosive device (IED), and his brother Ramil, in an operation conducted by the police and military.

Ruel was also found in possession an AnakPawis party-list identification card, signed by then AnakPawis national president, Rafael Mariano, now the Secretary of the Department of Agrarian Reform.

Captain Joe Patrick Martinez, spokesperson of the Philippine Army’s 4th Infantry Division (4ID), said the two were arrested in Purok 8, Barangay Kiburiao, in Quezon town, Bukidnon on Wednesday.

Armed Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla Jr. said authorities must look into concerns if it was true that one of the suspects was a bona fide member of the party-list organization.

“The individual who was caught in Bukidnon wore a party-list ID from, if I’m not mistaken, AnakPawis, so we need to ascertain whether this individual is really a part of the group,” Padilla said during a press conference at a hotel in Pasay City.

“This is something we have to reach out to the party-list concerned and make sure they have not been using their resources to fund the activities of this group,” he added.

Padilla assured that the military will properly coordinate with Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez about the planned inquiry into the AnakPawis group.

He said the military will provide all relevant information to Congress to aid the investigation as well as the “check and balance whether that party list is indeed putting resources to these individuals.”

“Ang nakakabahala lang po doon eh ‘yung isa sa mga nahuli ay nagpapanggap na isang miyembro ng party-list [The alarming thing is one of those caught was pretending to be a member of the party-list],” he said.

“Sana naman po ‘yung party-list na ‘yun ay tingnan mabuti kung sino ‘yung kanilang kinukuha dahil iba po ang nagiging pakay at nagiging cover po ‘yung kanilang pagiging miyembro ng party-list na ‘yon [We hope the party-list would screen its members well because they have a different motive and use the membership of the party-list as a cover],” he said.

If the AnakPawis-NPA connection is proven, he said it would be up to the country’s political leaders to decide on the next course of action.

NPA attacks foiled Confiscated from the suspects were 24 pieces of IEDs, two caliber .38 revolver pistols, 10 meters safety fuse, 200 meters detonating cords, five blasting caps, switch boxes, three laptops, a 57 Recoilless Rifle, 51 rounds of caliber .30 ammunition, other IED paraphernalia, and documents, Martinez said.

He said a team of police officers and government troopers responded to information that NPA fighters are planning to launch attacks in the community.

The operation led to a five-minute encounter and the arrest of the suspects.