Joint Army, PNP personnel arrest suspected ranking CPP-NPA female commander

From the Philippine News Agency (Oct 8): Joint Army, PNP personnel arrest suspected ranking CPP-NPA female commander

Joint operatives of the Philippine National Police, the Philippine Army and the intelligence community arrested at dawn Tuesday an alleged ranking leader of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) in Bais City, Negros Oriental.

An initial report from the PNP said Nilda Bertulano, alias Frea, was arrested during a checkpoint at the crossing of Barangay Tamisu in Bais City around 4:10 a.m. Tuesday, said PNP OIC provincial police director Supt. Alet Virtucio.

Bertulano, an alleged “amazon” or female red fighter of the NPA, the armed wing of the CPP, is wanted for cases of rebellion (Case No. 3344) and murder (Case No. 4311-C) filed at the Regional Trial Court 6th Judicial Region Branch 60 in Cadiz, Negros Occidental.

Court warrants for her arrest were issued by Executive Judge Renato Munez, according to Supt. Virtucio.

Bertulano was on board a motorcycle traveling to Mabinay, Negros Oriental, when she was flagged down at a checkpoint and arrested.

Brig. Gen. Francisco Patrimonio, commander of the Army’s 302nd Infantry Brigade based in Tanjay City, Negros Oriental, disclosed that Bertulano is allegedly the commander of the Front Operational Command of the Larangan Guerilla 1 of the NPA based in northern Negros.

She is also the alleged secretary of the provincial white area committee, a term used for front groups of the CPP-NPA, said Brig. Gen. Patrimonio.

Details as to the rebellion and murder charges against Bertulano were unavailable as of this posting.

She is now detained at the Bais City police station.

Brig. Gen. Patrimonio said Bertulano is in the military’s watch list of suspected NPA members.

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