The Philippine National Police in Oriental Negros denied that the arrest of three Anakpawis members in Barangay Trinidad, Guihulngan, on March 24 was tainted with political color.

Police legal counsel Troy Warren Cayanan said the arrest was conducted by virtue of a search warrant issued for charges of rebellion and illegal possession of firearms against the suspects by Regional Trial Court Branch 33 Judge Fe Lualhati Bustamante.

The three were identified as Rene Quirante, municipal chairperson of Anakpawis, and Maricris and Emilia, both also surnamed Quirante.

Anakpawis secretary-general Ronald Ian Evidente had alleged that 1st District congressional candidate Jocylyn Limkaichong was behind the said arrest. Cayanan said their intention to arrest was clear and stated in the search warrant. There was not a single stain of politics, he said.

He also denied Evidente's allegations that the evidences seized from the suspects' house were planted. Cayanan said the search was witnessed by Barangay Kagawad Democrito Balocos of Trinidad, Guihulngan. Emilia, in an affidavit, admitted that the recovered subversive documents were found inside the house, Cayanan said.

According to the affidavit, the documents were deposited by the Human Rights Advocate Group which conducted a fact-finding mission in July, 2004 after an armed encounter between the New People's Army and the military, the lawyer added.

Emilia's sworn statement further stated that Fred Caña of Karapatan-Negros left the documents in the house, and she did not know the materials were subversive .

DAILY STAR tried to call Caña through his cellphone yesterday, to no avail.

Meanwhile, PNP provincial director P/S Supt. Melvin Buenafe said the are not worried about the accusations of Evidente, whose credibility, he added, is questionable.

The suspects are now facing rebellion charges before the Provincial Prosecutor's Office, and are detained at the PNP Provincial Headquarters in Sibulan.*MA

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