Offices operated by progressive organizations
By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

At least 55 individuals, including 15 minors, were rounded up after operatives from the Philippine Army 3rd Infantry Division (3ID), Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group raided the offices of various progressive groups in Bacolod City and Escalante City late last week.
In a press conference, 3ID spokesperson, Army Captain Cenon Pancito III, said the raids were conducted after receiving numerous intelligence reports claiming the offices were stockpiling firearms and ammunition. Reports were also noted to have come from former New People’s Army (NPA) members who surrendered in Escalante City last September.
The military official also said that the offices were reportedly being used as a recruitment facility for the NPA.
Authorities subsequently sought a search warrant from Executive Judge Cecilyn Burgos-Villavert of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court-Branch 89
Operatives then raided offices owned by the prominent progressive groups, including Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), Kilusang Mayo Uno, Gabriela, and Anakpawis, along with the National Federation of Sugar Workers, in Bacolod City Barangays Bata, Taculing, and 33 in Bacolod City last Thursday, followed by another raid in Escalante City the next day.
Pancito noted, most of the firearms were seized from Barangay Bata, where they confiscated a total of 32 firearms of different caliber, 130 rounds of ammunition, and five grenades.
They also identified 40 arrested individuals as NPA members, some of whom are residents of other provinces such as Cebu, Bohol, and Siquijor.
The apprehended individuals are presently detained at Camp Alfredo Montelibano in Barangay Estefania, while the minors were handed over to the city’s social welfare and development office.
In addition, authorities also seized several subversive documents.
Once members of the media were allowed entry last Thursday night, books being kept by the suspects were found to have the logo of the National Democratic Front, the political arm of the Communist Party of the Philippines and the NPA.
Both the police and army stated the arrested individuals originate from different areas of Negros Occidental and were undergoing “combat-related training and indoctrination.”
The seized firearms, meanwhile, will undergo ballistics examination to determine if the guns were used during recent killings in Negros.
In response to the raids, Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate slammed both the army and police, calling the operations “harassment.”
He also claimed the raid was conducted the night before a long holiday weekend in order to ensure the courts were closed and the charges would not be immediately challenged.
He further questioned the conduct of the raid, pointing out, why the search warrant was taken from Quezon City and claimed the evidence recovered were “planted.”/DGB, WDJ