Joint police and military operatives arrested a top official of the New People’s Army in Palawan and nearby provinces in a checkpoint in Puerto Princesa City last Friday.
Police Brig. Gen. Tomas Apolinario, Philippine National Police Region 4-B (Mindoro Oriental and Occidental, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan area) chief, said six other suspected communist rebels were also arrested along with Domingo Ritas.
Ritas is reportedly the deputy secretary of the NPA Sub-Regional Military Area 4E. He has a standing warrant of arrest for murder.
“The six other arrested persons with Ritas are yet to be identified in a thorough investigation,” said Apolinario.
Apolinario said Ritas and his companions were collared at the North National Highway in Barangay San Jose.
Seized from them were a 9mm pistol, rifle grenades, time fuse, blasting caps, grenades, laptop and cellphones, medicines, NPA uniforms, flag of the National Democratic Front, and various subversive documents.
Police Lt. Col. Socrates Faltado, PNP-Region 4-B spokesman, said the group of Ritas was on their way to the southern part of Palawan on board a van when they were apprehended at around 11 p.m.
“They came from San Vicente town,” said Faltado.
The NPA has been waging five decades of armed struggle against the government. Peace talks between the government and the NPA would always bog down over the years.
Meanwhile, four unidentified men on two motorcycles killed a leader of the Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade in Barangay Efigenio Lizares, Talisay City, Negros Occidental last Friday.
Slain was Jicky Casipe, 44, of Barangay Dos Hermanas, Talisay City.
Police Major Jigger Gimeno, Talisay City police chief, said the assailants were tailing Casipe from his house and blocked his way when he reached the area.
The gunmen opened fire at the victim and fled.
Casipe died on the spot due to multiple bullet wounds.
Police recovered from the scene three empty cartridges of .45 caliber pistol.
Gimeno said police have yet to establish the motive of the killing but the victim’s brother alleged that Casipe had threats five months ago.
Casipe returned to the fold of the law and had been part of the RPA-ABB, a breakaway group of the NPA, for almost 10 years now. (Aaron Recuenco and Glazyl Masculino)