Anti-mining activist was rebel leader wanted for extortion, says military

File photo by RICHARD BALONGLONG

DIGOS CITY, Davao del Sur — A mining activist who was reportedly abducted in South Cotabato has turned up at the local jail here, held  on charges ranging from extortion to illegal detention and murder and of being a leader of the insurgent New People’s Army.

Ryan Lariba, spokesperson of the Bagon Alyansang Makabayan in the South Cotabato-Sultan Kudarat-Sarangani-General Santos City area, said Romeo “Ging” Rivera, 53, was forcibly taken by unidentified men from his house in Barangay (village) San Roque in Koronadal City on May 2.

He said Rivera was a member of the anti-mining group Tampakan Panalipdan (Protect Tampakan), which has been vigorously opposing the presence of Xstrata’s Sagittarius Mines Inc. in Tampakan, South Cotabato.

Lariba said 20 armed men barged into Rivera’s house, tied him up and dragged him to one of three waiting pickup trucks.

He was hit with the butt of a rifle, Lariba said.

“Socksargen (South Cotabato, Sarangani and General Santos) is now one of the most dangerous places for environment activists in the country,” Lariba said.

But Captain Alberto Caber, spokesperson of the military’s Eastern Mindanao Command based in Davao City, said the authorities got someone who was more than just an anti-mining activist.

He said government security forces had actually captured the “notorious NPA Front Secretary Felix Armodia alias Jing/Jade, who operates in Davao del Sur, South Cotabato and Tulunan, North Cotabato.”

Caber said Armodia was arrested in Barangay San Roque in Tampakan, South Cotabato, past noon on May 2 by operatives of the Army and the police.

“He was responsible for the series of attacks on plantations and construction firms in the region that do not give in to their extortion demands,” Caber said.

Asked via text message if Rivera and Armodia were the same person, Caber replied, “Yes, he also uses Romeo Rivera for an alias.”

Caber said the military was not mistaken about Armodia’s identity and that the arrest was made after a concerned civilian tipped off the authorities to his his location.

“The NPA secretary was arrested for murder; robbery with violence; and Illegal detention among others. He is now imprisoned at the Digos City PNP jail to await trial of his cases,” Caber added.

Superintendent Querubin Manalang, Digos police chief, confirmed that the Digos police had custody of the alleged rebel leader.

Manalang said the police was simply Rivera’s custodian and it was up to him to prove his innocence in court.

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