SORSOGON CITY—A ranking communist rebel commander operating in Sorsogon province who was arrested by government forces three weeks ago was relased on Thursday after posting a P700,000 bail.

Andres Hubilla, alias Ka Magno, deposited P700,000 cash for his bail with the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Sorsogon, said an official of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) that manages the city jail here where Hubilla was detained following his arrest on April 12.

Hubilla was arrested along with two other ranking NPA commanders in the province at an Army checkpoint on the Maharlika Highway in barangay Villahermosa, Daraga, Albay. The three were returning to Sorsogon, from Metro Manila onboard a Nissan Exalta sedan when intercepted.

Hubilla’s companions were identified as Eddie Alemania, alias Ka Aris, unit commander of the NPA operating in the First District of the province, and Crispulo Alindogan, alias Ka Cris, unit commander of rebel movement in the Second District.

Hubilla is facing various criminal charges including two counts of murder, frustrated murder, illegal possession of firearms and rebellion filed with Branch 53 of the RTC in this city.

Alemania and Alindogan were charged with rebellion but they were earlier released after posting P250,000 bail each about a week after their arrest, the same BJMP official said.

Hubilla’s release was ordered Wednesday by Judge Boanerges Candolea of Branch 53 of the RTC here.

A court employee, who requested anonimity, said Hubilla’s bail was arranged by his brother, who is a provincial government employee.

Alindogan’s bail, on the other hand, was arranged by his wife, who is also employed by the provincial government, the same court employee said.

The brother of Hubilla and Alindogan’s wife, whom the court source refused to name for security reasons, were said to be employed by the provincial government during the administration of former governor Raul Lee and continued to serve under the administration of his wife, incumbent Gov. Sally Ante-Lee.

Local police investigators who filed the charges against the three expressed surprise that the rebel commanders were released on bail and could not determine where they got the money used to post bail.

Senior Supt. Henry Rañola, Sorsogon police commander, said: “Certainly, the money did not come from their own pockets nor from their immediate family, given their financial capacity.”

Col. Celso Silvestre Jr., commander of the Army’s 901st Infantry Brigade, whose troops arrested the trio, said the money came from the NPA and was raised through extortion activities euphemistically called “revolutionary taxation.”

Another source of the money, Silvestre said, could be wealthy politicians in the province coddling the NPAs in exchange for favors supporting their candidacies during elections.

The release from detention of Hubilla, Alemania and Alindogan brought to six the number of ranking NPA commanders in the province who are out on bail. The other three are Rolando Mustasa, Elmer Osila and Eduardo Cardinal, BJMP records show.

Mustasa, the top NPA commander operating in the Second District of the province, was arrested by Army troops in Juban, Sorsogon, two years ago. He was facing charges of murder, arson, illegal possession of firearms and rebellion but was released after posting a P250,000 bail several weeks after his arrest.

A military report said Mustasa has then rejoined his comrades in the hills and jumped bail.

Cardinal, NPA commander in Sorsogon, was arrested for several counts of murder and rebellion early last year. He was able to post a P250,000 bail through a bondsman and was subsequently released from detention.          

Osila was secretary of the provincial party committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines and a ranking commander of the NPA in the province, and was arrested about two weeks after Cardinal. He was charged similarly and released on the same amount of bail from the city jail after about a month of detention.

Rallies peaceful, but obstruct traffic

THE simultaneous and successive rallies staged by workers in key cities around the country were orderly and peaceful except for traffic snarls that have been created, especially in some parts of Metro Manila.

TO the rice, oil and other shortages lately, add the shortage of seats in all airlines flying to the Middle East that results in days of delays for at least a thousand Filipinos going to work for the first time or returning to their jobs in that region.

THERE will be changes in the nursing curriculum next school year.

This was announced by Chairman Romulo Neri of the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) on Wednesday to ensure that instruction is on a par with international standards and ensure a better passing rate for Filipino nursing graduates in licensure examinations here and abroad.

THE leadership of the House of Representatives is ready to sit down with senators to discuss their proposal for a constitutional change to make way for a federal system of government, Speaker Prospero Nograles said on Thursday.

SORSOGON CITY—A ranking communist rebel commander operating in Sorsogon province who was arrested by government forces three weeks ago was relased on Thursday after posting a P700,000 bail.

ZAMBOANGA CITY—One of the most wanted Abu Sayyaf leaders and his son were wounded in the “surgical strike” launched by the military on Wednesday in the hinterlands of Sulu.

MALAYSIA assured the Philippines on Thursday it will continue brokering the peace negotiations between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) despite its coming pullout as member of the International Monitoring Team (IMT).