An alleged New People’s Army (NPA) member who was charged with rebellion has been convicted by the Taguig City Regional Trial Court (RTC) for his involvement in the attacks against government forces in Quezon province in 2005 and 2006.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Oct. 13, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said convicted by the trial court was Dionisio Almonte who was sentenced to prison term ranging from 10 year as minimum to 17 years and four months as maximum.
The DOJ said Almonte -- alias “Inol,” “Noli,” “Leo” -- was found guilty of violation of Article 134 (rebellion) of the Revised Penal Code.
It said Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla lauded the DOJ’s National Prosecution Service (NPS) for securing the conviction of Almonte who was allegedly a member of the NPA’s Melito Glor Command at the time the offense was committed.
“Rebellion and aiding it is a crime. Those who commit the same should suffer its consequences,” Remulla said.
The DOJ said the criminal charges stated that “Almonte is among several armed men who participated in attacks against members of the Philippine Air Force (PAF), Philippine Army (PA) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Quezon province in separate dates from November 2005 to 2006.”
“Among the alleged atrocities committed by Almonte and his group were the following: the bombing of a Globe Cell Site tower located at Brgy. Piis, Lucban, Quezon; the killing of SPO3 Clarito Ilao and the wounding of five other police officers during an encounter; an ambush on members of the PA resulting in the death of Pfc Eric Consulta, Pfc Rey Surada, and Pfc Ruel Abino and the wounding of eight other Army officers; an attack on PA officers resulting in injuries to four Army officers; an ambush on PA officers causing the wounding of two Army officers; and an attack on PA officers causing the death of Ssgt. Ernesto Baniel and the wounding of another PA officer,” it said.
The DOJ said that the trial court ruled that “the prosecution was able to prove the fact of public uprising and taking arms against the government as the prosecution’s witnesses categorically testified of their experience and encounters with the rebel group, NPA.”
It said the RTC cited witnesses who identified Almonte as among those armed men during the encounters with government forces.
It said the court also ruled that Almonte failed to provide a convincing alibi that he was with his wife, Gloria, in Malabon manning their bakery from Nov. 19 to 26 in 2005.
It also said the court stated in its decision that Almonte’s defense of alibi will not prosper “if it is established mainly by the accused-appellant himself and his relatives, and not by credible persons.”
“Furthermore, for the defense of alibi to prosper, the accused must prove not only that he was at some other place at the time of the commission of the crime, but also that it was physically impossible for him to be at the locus delicti or within its immediate vicinity,” the DOJ also said quoting from the court’s decision.
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