An alleged leader of the New People’s Army in southern Negros, and his wife, remained in jail, while four of their companions were released after posting bail of P12,000 each for violation of the Comelec gun ban.

Police said the arrest of Reniel Cellon, alias Ka Kumpol, commander of the Sentro de Grabidad Platoon of the NPA South West Front, his wife, Mary Jane Magquilat, alias Ka Chin Chin, and four of their companions, Jose Sonny Boy Ditomal, Rodrigo Maricasa, Antonio Estaniel and Edson Gonzales, at a Comelec checkpoint on April in Ilog, yielded a .45 caliber pistol, a fragmentation grenade, .22 caliber pistol, a rifle grenade and hundreds of live ammunition for an M-16 assault rifle and carbine.

Senior Inspector Joshua Villasis, Ilog police chief, yesterday said the four companions of Cellon and Magquilat, were, however, freed from jail, after posting bail.

Aside from the gun ban charges, Cellon and Magquilat are also facing murder charges, which are non-bailable offenses, and frustrated murder,Villasis said. They are now detained at the Negros Occidental Provincial District Jail in Bago City.

The .45 caliber pistol recovered from Cellon was traced by the military to have been owned by the slain Army PFC John Ilisan, who was gunned down by suspected NPA assassins last year in Sipalay City, military records show.

Villasis said they have arrested nine gun ban violators in Ilog, from January to June 5 and a certain Paul Lester Pallares has been added to the list of apprehended suspects.

The arrest of Pallares in Brgy. Tabu, Ilog, yielded a homemade 12-gauge shotgun with a live ammunition.

Of the nine arrested, only Cellon, Magquilat and Pallares are still in jail.

Five days before the gun ban implementation is lifted on June 12, more than 50 violators were accounted for by the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, police records also show.*GPB

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