From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 25): Gov't security forces nabbed ranking
NPA in Negros Oriental
Operatives from the 302nd Infantry Brigade and the Philippine National Police
arrested one of the most wanted persons in Negros Oriental, a member of the New
Peoples Army, in a law enforcement operations Tuesday.
Arrested was Filemon Mendrez, the country's 6th most wanted.
He was nabbed at Barangay Tubod, Manjuyod town, Negros Oriental around 10
a.m. by virtue of an warrant of arrest for the crime of robbery in band under
Criminal Case Numbers 2116, 898, and 00-662 for rebellion with no bail
recommended.
Mendrez is under the new joint Dept. of Interior and Local Government-Dept.
of National Defense reward list where his arrest has a reward of P5.25 million.
Mendrez or alias Tatay and Edon in the underground movement was the former
head of Front Committee 2 in Central Visayas and later became the Deputy head of
the Central Visayas Revolutionary Party Committee of the Communist Party of the
Philippines.
He currently heads the armed group of the NPA in Negros.
"Law enforcement operations shall continue even as we observe a Suspension of
Offensive Military Operations and ceasefire. This is part of your security
forces' of protecting communities, government and private establishments," 3rd
Infantry Division Maj Gen. Jose Mabanta, Jr. said.
The 3rd Infantry Division is the mother unit of the 302nd Infantry Brigade.
"The arrest will certainly give a better opportunity for us in Central
Visayas to celebrate the holidays more peacefully," he added.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=482398
CPP propagandists will be all over this. They might say it is a violation of the GRP-CPP ceasefire agreement. Front groups may assert that arrest of Mendrez is a case of mistaken identity and that he is just a simple farmer and not affiliated with the CPP/NPA in any way. They may try to argue that Mendrez is just a innocent civilian whose name was erroneously included in a government "hit list" in violation of recent legislation signed by President Aquino. I would expect the main CPP human rights front KARAPATAN to come to the defense of Mendrez in short order.
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