Parago's son tagged in Apex Mine attack

From the Sun Star-Davao (Aug 1): Parago's son tagged in Apex Mine attack

AN ARMY official said on Friday that Ryan Pitao, son of the late prominent New People's Army (NPA) leader Leoncio Pitao, alias Kumander Parago, was behind the recent attack on Apex Mining Company at Sitio Lumanggang, New Leyte, Maco town in Compostela Valley province last July 26.

Tenth Infantry Division (ID) spokesperson Alex Cabales said that the Maco Philippine National Police (PNP) identified Ryan Pitao during the said attack.

"Ryan (Pitao) orchestrated the attack in the mining company. The local PNP will file charges against him but the final details are not yet available," Cabales told Sun.Star Davao in a phone interview Friday afternoon.

The NPA rebels burned the guard house of the said mining company and one heavy equipment.
An improvised explosive device (IED) that exploded in Barangay New Leyte of the same province was also executed by the same NPA rebels.

"Prior to the incident, our intelligence group received a report on the presence of Ryan Pitao and their target which is the mining company," Cabales said.

"Although we were notified of their operation, our military units failed to cover the whole area of the mining company because it's so wide," he added.

Both the police and the military said that extortion was the the motive behind the attack.

Cabales said Ryan's involvement in the recent attacks aimed to build his credibility after his father was killed in an encounter with the Task Force Minion last June 28 in Paquibato District.

Ryan was believed to be under the Pulang Bagani Command (PBC)-3 operating in Pantukan, Maco, and Mabini.

"I think the deployment of Ryan was ordered by the Sub-Regional Committee 2. But the public should not worry as pursuit operations have been intensified against the NPA rebels," Cabales said.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/local-news/2015/08/01/paragos-son-tagged-apex-mine-attack-422145