• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
One of the five suspected New People’s Army rebels arrested last month in Talisay City, Negros Occidental, has 33 pending arrest warrants, a ranking police official disclosed on Thursday.
PCol. Dennis Wenceslao, provincial police director of Negros Occidental, identified the rebel leader as Glenmar Bacusmo, of Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay. He was reported by the police as a leader of the dismantled Northern Negros Front – Komiteng Rehiyonal – Negros.
In a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, Wenceslao revealed that Bacusmo faces cases of multiple murder, frustrated murder, robbery, violation of International Humanitarian Law, genocide, and illegal possession of firearms.
Bacusmo, Danny Boy de Baguio, Judy Caramihan, Julie Ann Balora, and Jerome Seballos were alleged by the police to have been involved in the Toboso encounters on April 19.
Wenceslao also disclosed that Baguio has seven pending arrest warrants for frustrated murder.
Bacusmo was also linked to the July 2017 ambush in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, where six police officers, including police chief Supt. Arnel Arpon, died.
The apprehension of Bacusmo and four others yielded four caliber .45 pistols with magazines containing ammunition, and two fragmentation grenades, according to regional police spokesperson Lt. Col. Joem Malong.
Wenceslao disclosed that Balora’s sister Genevieve was among the 19 killed in the armed clashes in Toboso.*
