Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Spokesperson Brigadier General Restituto Padilla. TOTO LOZANO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is calling for an investigation on the alleged communist rebel arrested in Bukidnon for his suspected links with the Anakpawis partylist.
This development came after Ruel Cololot, a suspected member of the New People’s Army (NPA), yielded an identification card of the Anakpawis partylist when arrested on Wednesday.
“Ang nakakabahala po dun ay isa sa mga nahuli ay nagpapanggap na member ng partylist. Sana naman po yung partylist e sana naman ay tingnan ng mabuti yung kanilang mga kinukuha dahil iba po ang nagiging pakay at nagiging cover po yung pagiging member nila ng partylist na yun,” AFP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said in a press briefing on Friday.
(What is truly bothering is that one of those arrested had been introducing himself as a partylist member. We are asking the partylist involved to police their ranks because it has become a cover in whatever activity they want to carry out)
Combined forces arrested two suspected members of the NPA in Bukidnon. Cololot, one of the suspected rebels, was a member of Anakpawis partylist based on the identification card confiscated from him.
“This is something we should reach out to the partylist concerned to make sure they are not using (government) resources to fund the activities of the group,” Padilla said.
He added that the AFP will provide the House Speaker pertinent information that may help into the investigation, as well as the check and balance of whether that partylist is indeed putting resources to these individuals.
“If indeed it is established, the subject of investigation now… then dun po papasok ang kailangang hakbang na gagawin ng political side ng ating gobyerno (the political side of the government will take it from there),” he said. Frances G. Mangosing / JPV