On arrest warrant vs judge slay suspects Malacañang to protect vice mayor from NPA

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the government is willing to provide protection to a vice mayor in Negros Occidental who was included in the NPA's arrest warrants against suspects in the killing of Kabankalan RTC Judge Henry Arles in April last year.

"We own the brand, law and order is our brand. It is not any other people's brand, any other rebels' or group's brand," Lacierda said Thursday in Malacañang, when asked if he thinks the NPA threat against a duly-elected official was an insult to the government's mandate to maintain peace and order, according to a report of Journal Online (www.journal.com.ph) the other day.

Last Tuesday, the NPA Apolinario Gatmaitan Command said in a statement that its regional revolutionary court in the Negros Island has issued warrants of arrest against eight suspects in the murder of Arles.

Its spokesman, Juanito Magbanua II, said they had launched a manhunt operation against Ilog town's former Vice Mayor John Paul Alvarez, Ilog LGU administrative aide Emmanuel Medes and six members of the Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPA-ABB) namely, Marvin Salve, Gerald Tabujara, Jessie Daguia, Eddie Fortunado, Alejandro Capunong, Rustom Puro; for their alleged role in the killing of Arles.

The NPA also summoned former Negros Occidental Vice Governor Genaro Alvarez Jr. to appear in its "court" for questioning  on the alleged participation of his son, John Paul, as mastermind of the crime.

The military and the police, for their part, have questioned the legality of the NPA arrest warrants. In a press statement Thursday, Col. Jon Aying, commander of the 3rd Infantry Brigade based in Murcia, Negros Occidental, reacted to the NPA's action saying, "Who are they? What authority, legality and morality do they have to judge people? How can lawless individuals place justice on their hands? This is just a manifestation of the kind of government they aim to put up. What are these lawless people leading to?"

Senior Supt. Milko Lirazan, acting director of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, earlier on Wednesday said the NPA has no authority to issue warrants of arrest because there is only one Philippine government. Any arrests the NPA make will be in violation of Philippine laws and charges will be filed against the group, he said.

Lirazan added they have not received any request for security from Vice Mayor Alvarez. He, however, said he  ordered the Ilog Police to intensify their intelligence monitoring to prevent other groups who may take advantage of the issue.

A human rights group has also slammed the NPA for issuing arrest warrants to the eight suspects. Alan Gozon, vice chairman of the Negros Alliance of Human Rights Advocates, said the NPA gathered its evidences based on hearsays and not on facts. "They're not (the) police. They're not even a legitimate court," Gozon said in a statement Wednesday.

In the NPA's statement, they also asked the elder Alvarez to confirm if he had a hand in the Department of Justice (DOJ) resolution that dismissed the charges against him, his son and Cauayan Vice Mayor Jerry Tabujara, while upholding the charges against seven suspects (six RPA-ABB members and Medes).

Magbanua said the NPA arrest operation was ordered by the regional people's court that is the highest revolutionary court on Negros Island after it had reviewed the decision of the Southwest Negros people's court based on a special report submitted by the NPA Armando Sumayang Jr. Command.

The Alvarezes have denied participation in the killing, saying it was all politically motivated. The former vice governor said the DOJ had dismissed the case against him, his son, and Tabujara.

In a radio interview Wednesday, John Paul said the NPA should not let themselves be used by other people, adding that "how can they investigate correctly, if they have been influenced by others?" His sister, Rep. Mercedes Alvarez (6th dist., Negros Occidental) questioned the purpose of the warrant of arrest, saying "the arrest warrant is for what?" She said her brother is at the Ilog town. "He's not hiding."

The congresswoman said her father and brother had nothing to do with the killing of the judge. "We respect the fact that up to this day, the case has no closure. It's really hurting to lose a good man (Arles) in our district," she said.

Arles, who received several awards from the Supreme Court as an outstanding judge, was gunned down by men riding in tandem while on his way home in Barangay Manalad highway in Ilog town last April 24, 2012.

The Arles family and the National Bureau of Investigation had filed murder complaints against 10 suspects, in July 2012. But last May, the DOJ cleared three of the 10 respondents---John Paul, his father Genaro and Cauayan Vice Mayor Jerry Tabujara for "insufficiency of evidence."---while upholding the murder raps against the remaining seven. (FREEMAN)