6 NPA rebels fall in police, military ops

From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 16, 2021): 6 NPA rebels fall in police, military ops (By Manny Balbin)

ARRESTED. Gil Peralta, secretary of the CPP-NPA's Komiteng Rehiyon–Cagayan Valley, was nabbed in Barangay Mariblo, Quezon City on Tuesday (Nov. 16, 2021). Peralta's five comrades were also arrested in Sta. Maria, Bulacan. (Photo courtesy of Nolcom)

MALOLOS CITY, Bulacan – Following the arrest on Sunday of Salome Crisostomo-Ujano, a wanted member of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA), six more communist rebels were nabbed in Santa Maria town, this province on Tuesday.

Col. Manuel M. Lukban Jr., acting Bulacan provincial police director, said the operation was jointly conducted by law enforcement units from the military and police through the service of warrants of arrest for arson and murder cases.

He identified the first arrested wanted person as Gil Peralta alias “Elmo”, secretary of Komiteng Rehiyon–Cagayan Valley (KR-CV), who was nabbed in Barangay Mariblo, Quezon City. Seized from him were an M16 rifle, a .45-caliber pistol, three anti-personnel mines, and a hand grenade.

Lukban said the raiding team thereafter immediately proceeded to Venezia and Selera Subdivisions in Barangay San Vicente, Santa Maria, to serve warrants of arrest to five other rebels identified as Irene Agcaoili alias "Ayang", finance head of KR-CV; Lourdes Bulan alias "Simang", executive committee member of KR-CV; Arcadio Tangonan alias "Tiago", and Roy Dela Cruz alias "Bonel", both intelligence officers of the same rebel group; and one alias "Bebang."

He said seized from the rebels' possession were two .45-caliber pistols, two anti-personnel mines, and two hand grenades.

Lukban said Peralta, Agcaoili, and Bulan have pending arrest warrants for murder, multiple murder, multiple attempted murder, arson, and robbery.

Proper inventory of seized evidence was done in the presence of captain Alipio Mangyari of Barangay San Vicente, he added.

The arrested rebels, together with the seized evidence, were brought to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Bulacan Provincial Field Unit for documentation and proper disposition.

Appropriate criminal complaints for violations of Republic Act 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act) and Republic Act 9516 (An Act Further Amending the Provisions of Presidential Decree No. 1866, as Amended, entitled “Codifying the Laws on Illegal/Unlawful Possession, Manufacture, Dealing in, Acquisition or Disposition of Firearms, Ammunition or Explosives) were prepared against those arrested.

The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

The Anti-Terrorism Council also formally designated the National Democratic Front as a terrorist organization on June 23, 2021, citing it as “an integral and separate part” of the CPP-NPA that was created in April 1973.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1159925