Tuesday, September 22, 2020

Relentless ops vs. Reds continue in NegOr after leaders’ arrest

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 22, 2020): Relentless ops vs. Reds continue in NegOr after leaders’ arrest (By Mary Judaline Partlow)



ANTI-INSURGENCY OPERATIONS. Government troops arrested two suspected high-ranking New People's Army leaders in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental and seized firearms, ammunition, and alleged subversive documents on Sunday (Sept. 20, 2020). Joint military, police, and local government unit operations continue to end the insurgency in Negros Island under the President's whole-of-nation approach. (Photo courtesy of the Philippine Army)

Intensified anti-insurgency operations jointly conducted by the Philippine Army and the police with the support of local government units (LGU) continue in Negros Island following the arrest of suspected top-ranking New People’s Army (NPA) leaders in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental over the weekend.

Col. Inocencio Pasaporte, commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade (303rd IBde) of the Philippine Army, in a telephone interview Tuesday morning, said the arrest of the suspected ranking leaders by the law enforcement units of the Guihulngan Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (TF-ELCAC) is a “setback” to the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).


“Medyo maapektuhan din yung Central Negros 1 Front (the Central Negros 1 Front will be affected),” Pasaporte said, with the arrest of two its top-ranking leaders who have also been linked to previous murders in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental.

“Yung isa sa kanila, si Acero, actually, kasama siya sa ambush kung saan yung COP ng Guihulngan ay napatay (one of them, Acero, actually was among those who participated in the ambush-slay of the Guihulngan chief of police),” he said, referring to the July 21, 2017 incident in Barangay Magsaysay of that city, where six policemen and a civilian were killed and three other policemen were wounded.

On Sunday, troops of the 62nd Infantry Battalion under the 303rd IBde, together with the 6th Special Action Force of the Philippine National Police and the Guihulngan police arrested nine people, including the two suspected high-ranking NPA leaders, in Barangay Buenavista in that northern Negros Oriental city.

The “high-ranking NPA officials” were identified as Nona Espinosa, alias Ava/Jelay, deputy front secretary of Central Negros 1 Front, Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros Cebu Bohol Siquijor, and Adidas Acero alias Baldo/BJ, vice commander, Front Operational Command, both of whom have eight warrants of arrest for various crimes, a media release from the brigade said.

Other individuals who were also arrested were identified as Lea Canja Niles, Xian Flores Batiken, Rodrigo Himino Benlot, Felix Baquilta Policher, Analyn Matusada Flores, Crispin T. Diano, and Juravilla Eno Baloy.

“They were arrested for harboring the two suspected NPA leaders, which is punishable under our laws, but were released later, except for two of them,” Pasaporte said in the dialect.

Nevertheless, despite their release, complaints will be filed against them as some of them are also facing other charges, he added.

The troops recovered from the suspects’ possession one 9mm Glock 17 pistol; three .45-caliber pistols; two hand grenades; one .357-caliber revolver with five serviceable ammunitions; 81 rounds of ammunition; six magazines assembled for caliber 9mm and .45-caliber pistols; one set of dental instruments; alleged NDF manuals; suspected subversive documents; and other items.

The suspected NPA leaders are now detained at the Guihulngan City Police Station while appropriate charges are being readied against them.

Pasaporte said that in line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s whole-of-nation approach to end the communist insurgency, “we have launched a series of operations in Negros Island in the past month or so”, which has seen the arrests of suspected NPA personalities and the recovery of firearms and ammunition in different parts of Negros in recent weeks.

He thanked the LGUs for their cooperation and support to the TF-ELCAC’s efforts while he also lauded the civilians for helping in the government’s efforts to end insurgency successful.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1116183

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