3 top NPA officials fall in joint PNP-Army drive against rebels in Compostela Valley

From the Daily Tribune (Nov 4): 3 top NPA officials fall in joint PNP-Army drive against rebels in Compostela Valley

The Compostela Valley provincial police office’s massive anti-insurgency campaign is reaping fruits with the arrest of three high-ranking leaders of the New People’s Army and five wanted persons in the area, the local police chief confirmed. Called the Strategic Plan Safe ComVal, the joint efforts of the province’s police command and the Army command stationed in the area made the arrest in just 72 hours since it was implemented a week ago. “We already arrested three high ranking NPA leaders and five dreaded criminals, all in the order of battle, in just three days of joint operations,” Senior Supt. Camilo Cascolan, Philippine National Police (PNP) provincial commander in the area, told the Daily Tribune in a long distance call.... Compostela Valley is a known hotbed of NPAs all throughout the Philippines. Known for its world famous Mt. Diwalwal, where 70 percent of gold in the country are sourced, the locality is where the NPA command is most active given the number of fronts. The command engages government soldiers frequently. All the rebel leaders caught have bounties in their head, an indication that they are really in the order of battle of the government, according Cascolan who is just on his first month of being the provincial commander of the area.  He declined to give the name of the arrested persons as there is an instruction from the PNP Region XI that identities of all arrested persons must be made secret until they are turned over to proper authorities and proper criminal charges are filed before the court. The arrested rebels will be charged with rebellion, sedition and illegal possession of firearms while the five felons will be charged with kidnapping, murder and robbery. “Compostela Valley is number one when it comes to the number of NPAs. It has eight front committees and three PBCS. But with our new strategic plan, we have enhanced cooperation and strengthened the anti-insurgency campaign....

http://www.tribune.net.ph/index.php/nation/item/6421-3-top-npa-officials-fall-in-joint-pnp-army-drive-against-rebels-in-compostela-valley