By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

After being identified as the New People’s Army (NPA) district commander who met with embattled police officer, Senior Police Officer 1 (SPO1) Joshua Barile, Albert ‘Ka Ambit’ Lacerna surfaced yesterday and denied all allegations.
During a press conference, Lacerna rebuked the three former aides to Barile, namely Jerry Gepullano, Jimpaul Elizalde, and Roy Flores, who made the allegations, and claimed they were paid by an “organized syndicate” led by a powerful politician in southern Negros.
NPA-Leonardo Panaligan Command (LPC) spokesperson Ka JB Regalado made similar remarks earlier this week.
Lacerna also denied links to the rebel group, identifying himself as a community organizer, a district coordinator for the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), and a businessman based in La Carlota City.
Barile was arrested earlier this month by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) after a search of his home yielded an array of firearms, including M-16s, M-14s, and AK-47s.
The police officer later filed counter-affidavits claiming his innocence and denied ownership of the grenades and the sachet of shabu found in his home.
He also claimed the recovered firearms were turned over to his custody by the court, however, he brought them home instead of the police vault, claiming the facility was full./WDJ