Cagayan de Oro: A top leader of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) was arrested on June 5 in Cagayan de Oro City, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) said in a belated report Sunday.
According to Philippines News Agency, the 50-year-old insurgent, who serves as the secretary of the CPP-NPA's Far South Mindanao Region, was captured in Barangay Indahag following verified intelligence reports. The arrest marks a significant development in the ongoing efforts to curb insurgency in the region.
CIDG officer-in-charge Col. Ranie Hachuela reported that the suspect, listed as the fifth most wanted person in Police Regions 11 (Davao) and 12 (Soccsksargen), faced charges of multiple murder and violation of the Anti-Terrorism Act. During the arrest, authorities found a .45 pistol, grenade, ammunition, blasting caps, and fake identification cards in the suspect's possession.
In related news, the CPP confirmed on Saturday the death of Luis Jalandoni, a senior adviser of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, while in exile in Utrecht, the Netherlands. Jalandoni was 90 years old. His passing follows the deaths of key communist leaders Benito and Wilma Tiamzon in an encounter in April 2022 and CPP founder Jose Ma. Sison in confinement in December 2022, also in Utrecht.
