BY MIKE U. CRISMUNDO
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CAMP COL. RAFAEL C. RODRIGUEZ, Butuan City – A tip provided by former rebels and the Barangay Intelligence Network (BIN) led to the arrest of a wanted New People’s Army (NPA) member in the town of Esperanza, Agusan del Sur, a police official said Tuesday.
Caraga Police Regional Office 13 (PRO 13) director Brig. Gen. Joselito T. Esquival, Jr. said suspect Ispan J. Tumanan, 28, of Barangay Remedios, Esperanza town, was captured at 9 a.m. on May 23 in his residence by the operatives of the Regional Intelligence Unit 13 and Esperanza Municipal Police Station.
He has a standing warrant of arrest for kidnapping and serious illegal detention issued by Judge Fernando R. Fudalan, Jr. of 10th Judicial Region, RTC Branch 7, Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur with no bail, police chief said.
Esquivel said that based on investigation, the suspect is a member of the Guerilla Front 88 of the CPP-NPA North Central Mindanao Regional Committee operating in the areas of Agusan del Sur and west of Agusan River.
He said the suspect was one of the NPA terrorists who attacked the New Tubigon Patrol Base in Sibagat, Agusan del Sur on December 19, 2018.
The group kidnapped two Army soldiers and 12 members of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit
(CAFGU).
“Our intelligence monitoring is underway to arrest his other cohorts and we will make sure they will face the full wrath of the law because kidnapping and serious illegal detention is punishable under Art. 267 of the Revised Penal Code,” Esquivel said.
