"Rebel couple" nabbed for murder, gun, grenade

CEBU, Philippines - A warrant for murder led to the arrest of a couple, who are allegedly high-ranking officials of the Komiteng Rehiyon-Central Visayas, in Barangay Subangdaku, Mandaue City last Friday night.

Calixto Vistal was arrested by virtue of a warrant of arrest for murder issued by Judge Roderick Maxino of the Regional Trial Court in Negros Oriental while his live-in-partner, Jimmylisa Badayos was arrested after police reportedly recovered a gun and a fray grenade from her bag.

Badayos, 36, said and Vistal, 38, just got out from work at past 5 pm last Friday when a man, whom she later knew to be a police officer, put his hand on their shoulders and told them to just cooperate.

Badayos works as office staff of Euroforest Products Industries, Inc., a lumber company based in Wireless, Mandaue City, while Vistal works in the company’s saw mill.

Badayos said the police then took the two of them to a van.

Inside the van, she said the police took their bags and placed a gun and a grenade in it when they reached the Cebu City Police Office.

“Gibutang-butangan g’yud mi nila og ebidensya. Gikan gud mi sa trabahoan, i-check nang among bag so ngano gud tawon magdala ko og armas? (They planted the evidence. We came from work where our bags are checked. Why would we bring firearms?)” Badayos said, as she denied accusations that they are rebels.

She said the arrest was illegal because the officers did not inform them beforehand why they were arrested.

Reporters tried to get the side of Vistal but he didn’t answer the questions.

“Ibuwag gani unta ming duha but wala gyud ko musugot kay mapareha unya sa akong papa sauna gilahi nila og detention cell pagkaugma ilang gi-declare na nakaeskapo, hangtod karon missing gihapon, (They wanted to separate us but I did not agree because that’s what happened to my father before. He was detained separately and the next day, they declared that he escaped.My father remains missing to this day.)” Badayos said.

Badayos said their house in Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City, was raided back in the 1980s. The police took their family to the police office and detained his father, Jimmy Badayos, whom they accused as a rebel leader. The following day, he was no longer found.

Central Command spokesperson Christopher Tampus said the operation was held jointly by the City Intelligence Branch of CCPO and the 2nd Special Forces Battalion under Central Command.

In behalf of Centcom Commander Jose Luis Alano, Tampus said they commend both units for following the rules and procedures in carrying out the suspects’ arrest.

“Their rights were duly respected,” he said.

Tampus identified Vistal, who bore aliases such as Isok and Cocoy, as commanding officer/platoon energen of the said rebel group in Negros Oriental while Badayos, alias Jill, Cecil, and Mayet, is former head of communication and technical bureau of the group.

The CentCom official said the suspects have been transferring from one place to another as their group in Negros Oriental is gradually being neutralized, with their members depleting down to 20 from what was previously more than 70 members.

The suspects were detained separately at the CCPO stockade. –/MIT (FREEMAN)