Mabinay 6 plead not guilty to gun possession charges

UP Cebu graduate Myles Albasin, who together with five others were tagged as communist rebels, raises her fists as she passes by her supporters after the arraignment at the Bais City Regional Trial Court on Wednesday.

The six persons who were tagged as communist rebels and arrested by the military in Mabinay town, Negros Oriental pleaded not guilty to charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives.

Myles Albasin, 21; Carlo Ybañez, 18; Ajomar Indico, 29; Randel Hermino, 19; Joel Baylosis, 18; and Bernard Guillen, 18, were arraigned before Judge Rosario Santos Carriaga of the Regional Trial Court Branch 75 in Bais City on Wednesday afternoon.

They were assisted by their lawyer Ben Ramos.

The pre-trial is set on July 11.

Albasin’s mother Grace, in an interview, said they continue to hope that all six accused will eventually be exonerated.

“My daughter simply expressed her love for our nation, the society, and the Filipino people. What can we do, some people didn’t like it,” she told Cebu Daily News.

“Planting of evidence has become the new normal. We hope that they (accused) will be cleared although it will take some time,” she added.

The six accused were arrested in what the 62nd Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army claimed was a shootout in the hinterlands of Mabinay town on March 3, a claim belied by the family and friends of Albasin.

The military said they recovered four M-16 assault rifles with an M-203 grenade launcher, and two M-4 assault rifles from the respondents.

However, results of the paraffin tests conducted by the Negros Oriental Provincial Crime Laboratory negated the claim of the military of a shoot-out as all five respondents tested negative for gunpowder residue.

Despite the findings of the crime laboratory, the Negros Oriental Provincial Prosecutor’s Office still found sufficient basis to indict the respondents.

The cases against the accused were formally elevated to the trial court last month.

No bail was recommended.

Albasin is a Mass Communication graduate of the University of the Philippines Cebu and was a secretary-general of Anakbayan Cebu.

Grace said Myles and the other respondents were in Negros Oriental for an immersion program with the farmers there on the day they were arrested.

But Col. Medel Aguilar, spokesperson of the Armed Forces’ Central Command, repeatedly maintained that there was basis to arrest the suspects.

He challenged the accused to prove their innocence in court.