An alleged finance officer of the Komiteng Rehiyal-Negros was apprehended at about 6 last night by a combined team of police and military operatives in Cadiz City, Negros Occidental, by virtue of an arrest warrant for the crime of murder issued by Cadiz City Regional Trial Court Judge Renato Munez.

Policemen, assisted by military personnel, nabbed Sarah Alvarez, alias Ka Olsen, finance officer of the KR-Negros headed by priest-turned rebel Frank Fernandez, Col. Oscar Lactao, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, said last night.

Lactao said the arrest warrant against Alvarez stemmed from the death of 1Lt. Archie Polenzo, commander of the 62nd Infantry Battalion Bravo Company, in Brgy. Caduha-an, Cadiz City, who was killed in an encounter with suspected rebels in Cadiz City, on February 2010.

Alvarez, who is now detained at the Cadiz police jail said in an interview with DYHB, last night that the charges filed against her were fabricated.

She claimed that, because of the frustration of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to cripple the NPA revolutionary movement in Negros, ordinary civilians are now being targeted by the military.

Alvarez was also linked to the raid of a fish farm owned by Joseph Edgar Sarrosa, a nephew of Governor Alfredo Maranon, in Cadiz City, in 20011.

Various cause-oriented organizations had earlier slammed the military and police for the inclusion of the names of some of their members, along with alleged NPA leaders, in charge sheets and warrants of arrest, for “trumped up” criminal charges.

Alvarez was reported to be connected to progressive groups Anak Pawis, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan and as an education officer of Karapatan-Negros.

Christian Tuayon, secretary general of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, Ronald Ian Evidente, secretary general of the Kilusang Mayo Uno- Negros, and Julia Tabat, alias Pinay/Gab, who was killed yesterday in an encounter with 47th Infantry Battalion soldiers in Brgy. East, Candoni, were also among those charged for robbery-in-band, in connection with the raid on the fishpond of Sarrosa.

In 2004, Tabat and her two companions, Medardo Villamayor and Isabel Necessario, were also arrested by the 61st Infantry Battalion in Brgy. Molobolo, Cauayan, for illegal possession of explosives, military records show.*GPB

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