Members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Compostela Valley Province yesterday placed a captured New People’s Army (NPA) leader under “hospital arrest” after serving nine warrants of arrest against him yesterday at the Davao Medical Center (DMC) in Davao City.
NPA Front Committee 3 leader Elizalde Cañete, alyas “Ka Jinggoy,” was arrested on January 30 after being hurt in an encounter with soldiers in Barangay Sarmiento, Laak, Compostela Valley.
ComVal Provincial Police Office director Superintendent Aaron Aquino said at least nine warrants of arrest were served on the 25-year-old Cañete at the DMC where he was being treated for wounds he incurred in the encounter.
“We are still consolidating all warrants of arrest we have against Ka Jinggoy. For now, we have nine which were issued since 2008,” Aquino said.
CIDG ComVal director Chief Inspector Cholijun Caduyac said Cañete was served three murder cases, one case each of robbery with homicide, robbery in an inhabited house or public building, multiple frustrated murder, multiple murder, theft, and kidnapping and serious illegal detention.
Aquino said Cañete will be detained at the provincial jail in Tagum City once he is fit to face charges against him.
Major General Carlos Holganza, commander of the 10th ID, said he had visited Cañete and found that he was gradually recovering.
“We were informed that he is now in stable condition and no vital organs were hit,” he said.
Holganza said they are still awaiting the decision of the hospital on when Cañete will be transferred to the Camp Panacan Naval Hospital.
Dr. Ricardo Audan, head of the Hospital Emergency Management Staff of the DMC, said it will take more than three days before Cañete can be transferred to the military hospital.
“We are still observing his injury in the abdomen and we advise him to stay here for at least three days before being transferred to Camp Panacan hospital. We will see to it that when we transfer him, he is in his recuperating stage,” he said.
The hospital is cur-rently heavily guarded with military personnel. Holganza said this will assure the security of both Cañete and employees and other patients of the said hospital.
“We are tightening our security and prepared for any eventuality of retalia-tion from the rebel group,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Exodus for Justice and Peace (EJP) yesterday called on the government and the military to respect the International Humanitarian Laws in dealing with Cañete.
In a statement, EJP convenor and Aglipayan Bishop Delfin Callao said prisoners of war like Cañete “should also be accorded respect for his political beliefs where, in the pursuit of such, he should not be charged with criminal cases.”
He said Cañete is “not a mere bandit; his actions are part of the revolutionary cause which he believes in.” |
