No bail for Red leader, couple caught in raid

DEFIANT DETAINEE National Democratic Front of the Philippines peace consultant Vicente Ladlad raises his fist as he is led by Chief Supt. Joselito Esquivel (right), chief of the Quezon City police, into Camp Karingal in Quezon City on Thursday. – NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

The Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office has found probable cause to charge National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) consultant Vicente Ladlad and two other people over their alleged possession of several grenades, firearms and ammunition that were seized during a midnight raid in Novaliches last week.

The resolution, which was signed by Manuel Luis Felipe, senior assistant prosecutor and inquest division chief, said the evidence presented against Ladlad, Alberto Villamor and wife Virginia, were sufficient to hold them for trial.

No bail was recommended for the three accused over their alleged illegal possession of three hand grenades. On the other hand, they were asked to post bail of P350,000 each for the charge of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.

Ladlad’s wife Fides Lim slammed the resolution which was released on Thursday, calling the charges against her husband and the Villamors “nothing but lies.”

Planted evidence

“Not one of those grenades or firearms has even a speck, a smudge, a shadow of Vic’s fingerprints nor of Virginia’s and Alberto’s because they were all planted to keep them in indefinite detention on nonbailable charges,” she said.

Lim claimed that her husband and the Villamor couple were forced to lie on the floor during the supposed raid on Nov. 8.

She said the barangay councilor and the head of the homeowners’ association, who supposedly acted as witnesses during the raid conducted by police and military operatives, went inside the house only “after the dastardly deed of [arranging] the guns and grenades.”

“Whatever happened to the PNP’s statement that they will [do] a fingerprint test of those firearms they claim were captured from Vic?” she said. “The case is really designed to prolong their detention on nonbailable charges. These are manufactured evidence to lock up all NDFP consultants as announced by President Duterte,” Lim added.

Rachel Pastores, the accused’s legal counsel, said that they would discuss the remedies available to them, considering that one of the charges was nonbailable.

According to her, they have filed a motion to transfer custody of the accused in the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 32, where Ladlad was facing murder charges.

Lim said the three were initially detained in quarters separate from common offenders at Camp Karingal.

Accused transferred

But she noted that after she accused policemen of using her husband’s Landbank Visa debit card, he and Alberto Villamor were moved to a cramped lockup cell with over 30 detainees.

“This has worsened the health condition of Vic, a chronic asthmatic who has already developed emphysema, and has a heart condition… Alberto is no worse off [than Vic]. He is a diabetic requiring insulin and is just recovering from a second stroke that occurred [in] April,” Lim said.