Army chief claims Magdalo in cahoots with CPP-NPA

Army chief Lt. Gen. Hermogenes Esperon on Wednesday confirmed a reported alliance between the Magdalo group and the Communist Party of the Philippines-New Peoples Army (CPP-NPA). Esperon said documents recovered by soldiers and policemen from recaptured mutineer Army 1st Lt. Lawrence San Juan indicated Magdalo and CPP-NPA members have been secretly meeting in Batangas even before the mutineer’s arrest early Tuesday morning. “Nahuli siya na may kasamang NPA, may mga dokumento kaming nakuha na NPA kanilang mga ka-miting. Eh ano pa iyon? Hindi ba pakikipagalyansa sa CPP-NPA na matagal ng kalaban ng AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) at ng bayang ito?" Esperon said. The Army chief also said San Juan was seen meeting with communist leaders several times during the two weeks that he was under surveillance by the composite police and military team. San Juan and two companions, lawyer Jose Christopher Belmonte and a certain Alberto Guyal were arrested at a check point in Padre Garcia in Batangas early Tuesday morning while allegedly on their way home from a meeting with CPP-NPA leaders in a mango farm in Barangay Bucal . Meanwhile, CPP-NPA spokesman Gregorio Rosal alias Ka Roger denied Esperon’s claim that the NPA is in alliance with the Magdalo group. “Bagamat nakikiisa kami sa ipinaglalaban ng grupong Magdalo, walang katotohanan ang sinasabi ni Esperon na naka-alyado kami sa kanila (Although we are one in supporting the advocacy of the Magdalo, it is not true that we are in alliance with them)," Rosal said in a radio interview. San Juan is now under tight watch in his detention cell at the Fort Bonifacio while Belmonte and Guyal are detained in Batangas.-GMANews.TV