Three alleged members of NPA’s Sparu unit nabbed

From the Mindanao Times (Mar 5): Three alleged members of NPA’s Sparu unit nabbed

THREE alleged members of the New People’s Army liquidation squad were arrested by the 71st Infantry Battalion in Barangay New Balamban, Tagum City on Feb. 26.

The belated report from the 71st Infantry Brigade claimed that the members of the Special Partisan Unit (SPARU) unit also yielded illegal drugs and firearms when arrested. The suspects were identified as Decxandre L. Balingcos, Ellen Grace L. Balingcos, and Welmer U. Muring.

 1Lt. Jhocelle Asis, the civil-military operations (CMO) officer of the 71st IB, told TIMES that they received a tip from a concerned citizen reporting of armed men on board a motorcycle without plate number heading toward Nabunturan, Compostela Valley.

 The soldiers were immediately deployed to verify the report on the orders of Lt. Col. Esteveyn Ducusin, commanding officer of 71st IB.

 Taken from them were a .45 caliber pistol, 9mm caliber pistol, and a small sachet containing substance believed to be shabu.

The three were supposed to be members of the Sparu under Guerilla Front 2 and Pulang Bagani Command 3, Sub-Regional Committee 2, Southern Mindanao Regional Command.

“We are very thankful on the continuous support of the masses in sharing real-time information about the possible violence perpetrated by the NPA or any lawless armed groups,” Ducusin said.

“Drugs on their possession prove that NPA terrorists are now engaging illegal drug activities for money,” he said.

“They are frustrated enough where to get financial support for their terroristic activities,” the commander.

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