ILOILO City – Six persons in a police operation in Calinog, Iloilo in end-2020 pleaded not guilty to charges of illegal possession of explosives and firearms.
Accused of violation of Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act were Marilyn Chiva, Welsio Chiva, Lauriano L. Castor Jr. and Benito Caballero.
They maintained their innocence during their arraignment at the Regional Trial Court Branch 76 in Janiuay, Iloilo on Jan. 18.
Luisito Bautista Sr. was charged with illegal possession of explosives together with Rodolfo Diaz Sr.
Chiva and Bautista were residents of Barangay Garangan, while Diaz, Castor and Caballero were from Barangay Masaroy.
Associate Provincial Prosecutor Flosemer Chris Gonzales, chair of the Legal Cooperation Cluster (LCC) of the Western Visayas Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC 6), said “they will go to trial”.
“(But) they still have the option to plead guilty for a lesser offense (in a) plea bargaining,” he said.
The six were among the 16 suspected communist rebels apprehended during a police operation led by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in seven barangays of Tapaz, Capiz, and two in Calinog, Iloilo.
The CIDG claimed the accused were members of the Milisyang Bayan, a reserve force of the New People’s Army (NPA) allegedly with the following roles:
* Welsio Chiva – organizer and facilitator
* Bautista – intelligence and communication
* Capillo – providing foodstuff requirements and military supplies to the NPA
* Marilyn Chiva – support facilitator for finance of the Communist Party of the Philippines and member of the Sangay ng Partido sa Lokalidad
* Caballero – organizer; transportation and communications facilitator
* Diaz – underground organizer; recruitment and supply facilitator whose house was allegedly utilized as “bahay bagsakan” of the communists
* Castor – underground organizer; ammunition and medical supplies facilitator
The suspects were detained at the Calinog municipal police station. (With PNA/PN)
