ILOILO CITY – An alleged platoon leader of the New People’s Army was arrested by the police in his house in Barangay Bolo, Maasin, Iloilo, last Sunday.
Police believe that 55-year-old Herman Allesa is linked to Lambat Paniktik under Baluy Platoon of the NPA Komiteng Rehiyon-Panay Central Front.
Joint forces of the 1st Iloilo Provincial Mobile Force Company, the 601st Company, the Regional Mobile Force Battalion, and local police found a hand grenade, ammunition holsters, handcuffs, and subversive documents in the suspect’s house.
However, progressive groups slammed Allesa’s arrest as another harassment on activists in Western Visayas.
Allesa, a former barangay captain of Bolo, is the treasurer of Paghugpong sang mga Mangunguma sa Panay kag Guimaras or Pamanggas, according to police.
“This is a clear sign of political crackdown and political persecution of the state on individuals and organizations they perceived as enemies of the state,” Pamanggas said.
“We believe the raid and arrest of Allesa does not differ from what happened in the series of raid and arrests of progressive organizations and its leaders in Negros last Oct. 31, Nov. 1, and Nov. 5,” it added. (Tara Yap)
