MORE NEWS, BATAAN

4 priests, 3 lawyers members of Underground in Central Luzon?
By Mar T Supnad

CAMP TOLENTINO, Bataan- The PNP provincial Intelligence office here is now looking into the backgrounds and participations of four priests, including a bishop and three other lawyers in the Underground movement in Central Luzon .

This development and reported involvement of the said personalities in the Underground movement came after the PNP confiscated recently confidential reports from the Rebolusyunaryong Hukbong Bayan (RHB), a breakaway group of the CPP/NPA rebels, during their operation in Samal town, a known bailiwick of the rebels.

Chief Insp. Cesar Lumiwes, PNP provincial Intelligence chief, said they are now declassifying the confiscated documents seized by them from the RHB which he described as “full of detailed A-1” information about the rebels’ activities and movements not only in Bataan but also in the whole region of Central Luzon .

For security reasons, the PNP intelligence chief, however, asked this writer not to reveal the identities of the bishop, the three priests and the three lawyers for the time being, one of whom is a prominent practicing lawyer in Bataan .
Based on the documents, Lumiwes said that a number of businessmen’s name, fish pond owners, politicians and other “sources” of the rebels were mentioned as their “sources of income and who are regularly paying their revolutionary taxes.”

It was not clear, however, if what are the real participations of the said subjects persons but definitely, Lumiwes, pointed out, they play a major role in the Underground movement. “Makapal etong dokumento na nakumpiska namin sa mga RHB rebels at kina classify pa namin,” said Lumiwes.

He said that it was also in the documents that one of the targets for liquidation is a member of the Philippine Army who incidentally joined in that operation. “Nagulat din etong Army dahil kasama pala siya sa tina target na lilikidahin ng mga RHB,” said Lumiwes.