MANILA, Philippines?The spokesperson of the Armed Forces Wednesday said it was building a case against Filipino-American activist Melissa Roxas based on evidence that she had once taken up arms for the communist New People?s Army (NPA) as an active cadre.

?According to the evidence, she?s been involved in NPA activities since 2006? and had even ?carried a weapon? in armed hostilities in Aurora and Quezon province, where she had stayed, Col. Romeo Brawner said.

?She really joined the activities of the NPA in Aurora [and] Quezon. It could be raids on some communities and other armed conflicts,? Brawner told the Fernandina Media Forum at Club Filipino in San Juan City.

According to Brawner, at least two witnesses?former NPA rebels who purportedly worked with Roxas?are prepared to testify on the extent of her involvement in the NPA.

He said he was not privy to the details, and that what he knew included the information that Roxas had come and gone at least thrice starting in 2006 to join such activities.

Roxas is a member of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) chapter in the United States.

Suspicious timing

Brawner reiterated that Roxas? purported abductors and torturers were NPA members themselves who wanted to dissuade her from leaving the army.

?We need to establish if there was indeed an abduction, or if there was, if the abduction had been staged,? he said.

Brawner also said the timing of Roxas? appearance was suspicious, considering that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was about to deliver her State of the Nation Address and to visit the United States for a meeting with US President Barack Obama.

?Based on the findings of the Office of the Solicitor General, everything was just orchestrated to poke holes at the credibility of the [AFP],? he said.

He added that depending on the depth of Roxas? purported involvement in NPA activities, she could face charges for robbery, extortion and murder.

Not listed

But in Sta. Rita, Pampanga, the chief of the Army?s 7th Infantry Division said Roxas? name did not appear in previous Army intelligence reports identifying communist rebels operating in Central Luzon.

?The most that we have are aliases,? Maj. Gen. Ralph Villanueva said in an interview on the sidelines of the President?s visit Wednesday.

Villanueva said Roxas? purported alias, Ka Aya, was also not on previous lists. He said Army personnel have been assigned to check the aliases and the true names.

?The Saturday exposé of Anad Rep. Jun Alcover and Bantay Rep. Jovito Palparan gave a different character of Roxas. We are verifying this. If she?s indeed an [NPA rebel], then she has a different motive in coming out,? Villanueva said.

He said he had not seen the video presented by the two congressmen, and that if it was proven that Roxas was an NPA member, the case should be left to the police to pursue.

Arrest warrants

Villanueva said one of Roxas? companions, Juanito Carabeo, had arrest warrants for murder and homicide in Bataan, and that Carabeo was accused of killing a soldier in Samal town in 1996.

He said his unit had no new information to contradict earlier findings that no soldier with the 7th ID was involved in the abduction of Roxas, Carabeo and Edward Jandoc, and that Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, the base of the 7th ID, was not used for their detention and torture.

?Malinis kami (We?re clean), we?re ready to face investigation and we?re willing to cooperate,? Villanueva said.