Rights activist nabbed for ‘rebellion’

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines  —  Policemen nabbed a human rights and environmental activist in the Ilocos region for alleged rebellion while he was going home Tuesday evening in Bantay, Ilocos Sur.

Sherwin de Vera, regional coordinator of Defend-Ilocos Network for the Environment and convenor of “Amianan Salakniban” (Defend the North), had sent text messages to colleagues that he was on his way to Bantay from Candon City in Ilocos Sur when policemen in front of the Ilocos Sur police provincial office in Barangay Bulag, Bantay flagged down the bus he boarded, then approached and accosted him.

A Bantay policeman identified as “Medrano” reportedly invited De Vera to go with them, but he insisted he would only go with the police if they showed him a warrant of arrest. 

“They forced me to get down from the bus, so I started shouting that I’m an activists and regional coordinator of Defend Ilocos. That’s when they said that I have a warrant,” De Vera, quoted by his colleagues, said in English and Filipino.

De Vera reportedly was only shown the warrant but was not provided a copy.

After demanding that his bag be searched on the bus so other passengers could witness it, De Vera was reportedly dragged outside, handcuffed and taken to the police station. 

He further claimed that only then was he was shown the arrest warrant dated Sept. 4, 2014 for a rebellion case in Abra.

De Vera was brought to Camp Elpidio Quirino in Bantay, headquarters of the Ilocos Sur police provincial office, before he was taken to the Regional Trial Court Branch 2 in Bangued, Abra yesterday morning.

NPAs surrender

Meanwhile, seven New People’s Army (NPA) rebels including a female guerrilla surrendered to the Philippine National Police provincial headquarters in Masbate City last Tuesday.

Supt. Froilan Elopre, Masbate police director, welcomed the rebels and urged other members of the local NPA units to lay down their arms and go back to their families by taking advantage of the cash incentives and livelihood assistance of the Comprehensive Local Integration Program.

The rebels said they were responding to the call of President Duterte to find lasting peace after the Chief Executive tagged the Communist Party of the Philippines and the NPA as terrorists.

The former rebels yielded two shotguns, a .30- caliber sniper rifle, two .45-caliber pistols, a .38- caliber revolver and assorted ammunition. 

Supt. Marlon Tejada, Sorsogon police director, said one unidentified NPA rebel was killed after a guerrilla unit clashed with troops of the Army’s 31st Infantry Battalion last Tuesday in Barangay Salvacion.

The soldiers also recovered two M-16 rifles, an M-14 rifle and one M203 grenade launcher.

Tejada said the other rebels escaped on board an L300 van towards Bulan, Sorsogon. –  Celso Amo