UP graduate, 5 others tagged as NPAs negative for gunpowder

Myles Albasin and five of her fellow detainees await a hearing at the Negros Oriental prosecutor’s office. —FERDINAND EDRALIN/CEBU DAILY NEWS

CEBU CITY — The University of the Philippines masscom graduate and her five supposed comrades in the New People’s Army (NPA), who had been detained after what the military said was a gunfight in Negros Oriental on March 3, had tested negative for gunpowder burns.

Results of paraffin tests made by the Negros Oriental Provincial Crime Laboratory cast doubt on the military’s claim that Myles Albasin and her five companions were captured after a clash in the town of Mabinay between soldiers and an NPA group.

Young detainees

Grace Albasin, Myles’ mom, said in a phone interview that she believed the findings would “somewhat prove that there was no encounter, contrary to the claims of the military.”

Myles, 21, was captured by the military along with Carlo Ybañez, 18; Ajomar Indico, 29; Randel Hermino, 19; Joel Baylosis, 18; and Bernard Guillen, 18.

The military described them as NPA members who were in Mabinay to harass residents, but Grace said her daughter was an activist who often visited impoverished communities to share insights with the poor and learn about their plight.

Myles is a mass communications graduate of UP Cebu College and secretary general of the activist youth group Anakbayan Cebu.

She and her five companions were charged with illegal possession of firearms and explosives at the Negros Oriental Provincial Prosecutor’s Office in Dumaguete City and were being detained at the provincial jail.

The 62nd Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army tagged the six as part of an NPA group that clashed with soldiers in Mabinay.

Illegal possession of guns

The military said soldiers recovered assault rifles and a grenade launcher from the six.

Myles and her companions, however, failed to meet a March 19 deadline to submit counter-affidavits to refute the military accusation.

According to Grace, the delay was caused by the tight schedules of the six detainees’ lawyers.

The detainees were also unable to present to the prosecutor the results of the paraffin tests.

During a hearing on Monday, the detainees were told that the resolution of the cases filed against them by the military would be released soon.

Grace said she hoped the cases would be dismissed because the family would otherwise have to “go through the arduous legal process.”

The detainees were represented by lawyers Ian Sapayan and Benjamin Ramos.