Groups send ‘fact-finding team’ to Bacolod City
By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Six of the 44 activists arrested for reported association with the New People’s Army (NPA) following simultaneous raids of offices belonging to various militant groups in Bacolod City and Escalante City were slapped with qualified human trafficking charges yesterday morning at the Bacolod City Hall of Justice.
Philippine Army 3rd Infantry Division (3ID) spokesperson, Army Captain Cenon Pancito III, identified the six as Albert Dela Cerna, John Milton Lozande, Noli Laceras Rosales, Proceso Quiatchon, Mae Dela Cerna, and Cherryl Catalogo.
He added, four of the suspects are considered “high value individuals.”
Meanwhile, various progressive groups have sent a “fact-finding team” to Bacolod City to perform their own investigation.
The fact finding team, which is led by Karapatan, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, Defend Negros Network, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, and the National Federation of Sugar Workers visited the offices in Barangays Bata, Taculing, and 33.
During their initial inspection, they said some of the offices were left in disarray, with laptops, hard drives, bags, computers, and other documents taken by authorities.
They also interviewed the relatives of the arrested.
The team continued to insist the firearms and explosives recovered by the army and police were all planted.
In response the investigation, Pancito said it is their right to conduct a separate probe; however, he pointed out, what is important is the fact that there was a crime committed, and they should answer to the proper body why a crime committed on their premises./DGB, WDJ