By FRANCIS T. WAKEFIELD
Government troops and the police arrested two suspected hitmen of the New People’s Army (NPA) as with a known communist recruiter during an operation in Magpet, North Cotabato on Tuesday.
The military identified those arrested as Harold Adiaton alias “Dodong”, Ian Solis alias “Iyan” and Dandan Mailan Andas, alias “Ondong.”
Adiaton has a standing warrant of arrest for frustrated murder while Solis was nabbed by virtue of search warrant for violation of illegal firearms and ammunition. Andas meanwhile is being hunted for crimes of frustrated murder and robbery.
Lt. Col. Harold M. Argamosa, the commander of 39th Infantry Battalion, said Adiaton and Solis are Special Partisan Unit (SPARU) members or hitmen of Guerilla Front 53, the Southern Mindanao Regional Comittee of the NPA while Dandan is a known recruiter of the communist movement and a member of a ‘kangaroo court’ of the underground mass base of the NPA as revealed by former surrenderees.
Argamosa said the three were arrested in the early morning of Jan. 9 at Barangay Balite, Magpet by joint elements of the 39th IB, 15IB of the Phil Army and the Provincial Philippine National Police (PNP).
One parent of the victim that chose not to be named stated she has long wanted for the three to be apprehended.
“According to several sources, the arrest could shed light on several killings in North Cotabato for the past several years,” Argamosa said.
Reports alleged the two SPARU leaders have a hand in the killings of a Mr. Weneger, a Swiss-Filipino businessman living in Makilala who was killed in Kidapawan City on 2012; and Bantito Abanilla who was killed inside the compound of a Catholic church in Arakan last Feb. 7 2016.
In Feb. 22, 2017, Sgt. Florentino, a vacationing 57th IB personnel was gunned down in Tagbak, Magpet. Also shot dead were Valerio Birondo, a barangay councilor of Brgy. Mahoncog, Magpet on Oct. 3; Bebs Quino, a farmer at Brgy Balite on Oct. 10; Mark Cervania, a vendor of rugs in Brgy Basak, Magpet on Oct. 13 and one T/Sgt. Galupon, a retired Presidential Security Group (PSG) man last Jan. 6.
“No one will get away from the full arms of the law, sooner or later they (NPA criminals) will be apprehended.
Justice was finally served to the three communist terrorist members,” Argamosa said.
