Days before the 46th anniversay of the communist New People's Army, a suspected leader of the rebel group was arrested during a security operation in Sorsogon before noon Friday.
In an interview
with reporters on Saturday, 2nd Lt. Janeth Barbacal, public affairs officer of
the Army's 903rd Infantry Brigade, identified the suspect as Arsenio Guelas,
alias Gapa and Insoy, who is believed to be the commanding officer of the
Sorsogon provincial operational command and a member of the executive committee
of the Bicol Regional Party Committee.
Barbacal said the
suspect was caught by the Philippine Army's 31st Infantry Battalion at Ginablan
Occidental village in Matnog town at around 11:40 a.m. on Friday.
Seized from
Guelas, who has a pending arrest warrant for murder and frustrated murder, was
a cal. 45 pistol, ammunition, magazine, a 4.5-kilo improvised bomb and
detonating paraphernalia.
Barbacal said the
military has coordinated with their police counterparts to determine additional
charges to be filed against Guelas in connection with the recovery of war
materials from him.
Guelas arrest
came two days before the 46th foundation anniversary of the NPA.
On Friday, AFP
public affairs office head Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc, in a tweet, said the
military will go on red alert starting Saturday noon because of the anniversary.
In a separate tweet, he said the NPA had been linked to killings and to extortion from traders and civilians.
In a separate tweet, he said the NPA had been linked to killings and to extortion from traders and civilians.
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