Labor leader nabbed for alleged rebel link

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – A labor leader was arrested for his alleged link to the New People’s Army (NPA) at Barangay Caduha-an, Cadiz City, Negros Occidental on Tuesday.

Gaspar Davao, 55, of Barangay Pinapugasan, Escalante City was nabbed after he allegedly resisted during a routine inspection relative to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis.

The Army claimed in a press release that Davao was the alleged secretary of the White Area Committee of the NPA’s North Negros Front, a secretary of Section Committee “TABACCO,” and also serves as finance staff of North Negros Front.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Robert Mansueto, city police chief, said that military troopers of the 79th Infantry Battalion (IB) and personnel of Cadiz City Police Station flagged down a van to check passengers, when they noticed a suspicious person who reportedly refused to disembark from the vehicle to fill-out forms as part of the city’s COVID-19 protocol for contact tracing.

Mansueto said that Davao also allegedly violated a city ordinance for not wearing a face mask.

Mansueto said that Davao allegedly resisted and tried to draw a fragmentation grenade from his bag, prompting the security personnel to arrest him.

He said that the other passengers and the van driver were allowed to proceed to travel, as they had no liability on the incident and they did not know Davao’s identity.

Mansueto said that the suspect told them that he reportedly came from Bacolod that day to follow-up something.

Recovered from him were eight cellular phones, a cellular phone charger, five ballpens, a flashlight, a sling bag, a fragmentation grenade, P14,000 cash, receipts, and other subversive documents.

Mansueto said that Davao will be facing charges for disobedience and resistance, violation of the city ordinance, and illegal possession of explosive.

The Army said that Davao was the subject of a Search Warrant for violation of Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Law issued by Executive Judge Cecilyn Burgos-Villavert of Regional Trial Court Branch 89 in Quezon City, but he escaped.

But the National Federation of Sugar Workers said Davao is not a rebel but a leader of their group in Negros Occidental.

The NPA’s Apolinario Gatmaitan Command-Negros Island denied that Davao is a rebel leader.

“Davao is not a member of the NPA. The AFP’s bold claims that he is a high-ranking official of the NPA is yet again another one of their classic lies, red-tagging legal organizers, imprisoning them through trumped-up cases and planted evidence,” AGC-NPA spokesperson Juanito Magbanua said in a statement Wednesday.

“Davao was held in a checkpoint last night while in a passenger van, at first allegedly because of not wearing a face mask, and later on according to Mansueto’s claims was visibly carrying a hand-held grenade. NFSW and Bayan offices in Bacolod have noticed surveillance operations around their legal office days before the incident.”