CIDG captures top rebel officer
PHILIPPINE National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) Director Brigadier General Romeo M. Caramat Jr. on Wednesday announced the capture of a top Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) official carrying a P2.8 million bounty on his head during a manhunt operation in Quezon City.
“We have accounted for an elusive CPP/NPA leader following a number of information provided to us by some individuals,” said the PNP-CIDG director in a report to PNP chief, General Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr.
Caramat said the arrested rebel is described as the commander of the CPP/NPA Central Front Committee’s Cagayan Valley Regional Committee and head of the Regional Operations Command of the rebel group’s Komiteng Rehiyon Hilagang Silangang Luzon and Rehiyunal Sentro de Grabidad.
The official said that the accused was arrested inside a house at Banlat Road in Tandang Sora, QC, around 4:15 p.m. Tuesday by officers from the CIDG National Capital Region Field Unit (NCRFU) under Col. Hansel M. Marantan and the Naval Intelligence Security Force (NISF) following weeks of surveillance.
A team of operatives from the CIDG-NCRFU Southern Police District Field Unit led by Lieutenant Col. Niño M. Briones placed the suspect under arrest.
Caramat said that the accused did not offer any resistance when he was shown the warrant of arrest for kidnapping with homicide, kidnapping, and serious illegal detention, direct assault with murder, robbery committed by a band, direct, assault and arson issued against him by different courts.
Judge Isaac de Alban of the Ilagan, Isabela Regional Trial Court Branch 16 issued a non-bailable warrant of arrest for murder against the rebel leader and his five co-accused on May 22, 2009.
The suspect is now undergoing questioning by CIDG-NCRFU investigators pending his presentation to court for issuance of official jail commitment order, the PNP-CIDG director said.
