An estimated P2 million has already been spent by a millionaire- philanthropist to bail out several arrested leaders of the New People's Army, who later rejoined the revolutionary movement to wage a continuing armed struggle, Col. Oscar Lactao, 303 rd Infantry Brigade commander, said.

While he did not name names, he said that instead of putting up bail for arrested rebel leaders, the money should be used for good intentions, and not for destruction.

More than 10 suspected rebel leaders, including Romeo Natan, regional commander of the NPA in Negros island, who were arrested for various criminal offenses by the military and police in the past years, have again fled to the mountains, after being freed from jail.

The military expects that arrested rebel leaders Hernando Llorente, platoon leader of the Northern Negros Front Sentro de Grabidad, and his wife, Faith Roseen Basergo, former NNF secretary-turned political instructress, will soon be released from jail, as their benefactors may bail them out, by paying the P80,000 bail for robbery-in-band raps they are charged with.

Lactao admitted that he is dismayed by the recent developments, apparently referring to the release of arrested rebel leaders after they had posted the required bail.

He, however, said they have no choice but to follow whatever the laws requires.

Lactao again called on legislators to look into the laws for organized crime groups, and for common criminals.

He said he noted that the laws applied to organized crime groups, including the CPP-NPA, are also for common criminals, which are no longer applied in other countries.

“Maybe, it is time our legislators look into our legal tools”, Lactao said.

Llorente and Basergo were arrested at a checkpoint Friday last week in Brgy. Punao, San Carlos City, and are now in jail for robbery-in-band charges, in connection with the raid of fish farm owned by the nephew of Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr., in Brgy. Bulanon, Sagay City.

Assorted foodstuff good for about 25 persons, P14,000 in cash, a map sketch, two cellular phones and documents with high intelligence value were recovered from the couple.

Before the arrest of the two alleged NPA leaders, troopers of the 1 st Scout Ranger Battalion discovered and seized a large NPA camp, also in the hinterlands of San Carlos City.

Lactao said he believes they were able to disrupt the planned activity of the NPA, including its possible tactical offensives, after the arrest of Llorente and the discovery of the suspected rebel main camp in northern Negros.*GPB

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