PRO4-B captures wanted female NPA rebel
POLICE Regional Office 4-B (PRO4-B) director Brigadier General Sydney S. Hernia on Saturday announced the capture of a female member of the New People’s Army (NPA) wanted for the kidnapping of two Army soldiers in Pola, Oriental Mindoro in August 2014.
In a report to Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, General Dionardo B. Carlos, the PRO4-B director identified the 36-year old suspect as Riza Mendoza Bonquin alias “Ka Rizza Mendoza Mesana”, described as the member of the NPA’s Kilusang Larangan Gerilya Ignacio Calabria Magadia Command since 2001.
Brig. Gen. Hernia said that the suspect became the 2nd NPA personality to be arrested by his men since the start of the year. Another 18 Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-NPA personalities in Mimaropa region (Occidental and Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan) have also surrendered to local police and military authorities since last January 1 to avail of a comprehensive government livelihood package for rebel returnees, he added.
Hernia said that the suspect was arrested in Orient de Galera Resort in Bgy. San Isidro in Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro past 5:00 p.m. Thursday by combined operatives of the Puerto Galera Municipal Police Station, the Oriental Mindoro Police Provincial Office, the PRO4-B Regional Intelligence Unit, the Regional Mobile Force Battalion, and the 10th Special Action Battalion of the PNP Special Action Force.
The official said that the accused is the subject of a warrant of arrest for kidnapping issued by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 97 on June 8, 2016 with no bail recommended.
Said to be a member of an NPA group led by the late Gregorio “Ka Roger’ Rosal”, a former spokesperson of the CPP/NPA – the suspect was charged in connection with the kidnapping and serious illegal detention of Army Privates First Class Michael Napadas and Romel Sanlatan in Pola municipality on August 11, 2004.
Her co-accused in the case apart from Rosal were identified as Rustom Sibulan alias “Ka Silang”, Noli Siasico alias “Ka Teody”, Nemesio Bungcal alias “Ka Islaw”, Manolo Rena alias “Ka Boyong”, and Josephine Joy Acuza Mendoza.
The suspect is now being held at the Puerto Galera police lock-up facility pending her presentation to the court.
Brig. Gen. Hernia credited the arrest and surrender of the rebel personalities in the region to their Enhanced Managing Police Operations or EMPO meetings being supervised by PRO4-B Deputy Regional Director for Operations, Col. Gil Francis G. Tria.
“Those meetings have prompted our unit commanders specifically all PRO4-B provincial directors and chiefs of police to sustain their drive against insurgency in the region,” he said.
The official described the arrest of the female NPA member as another “quantum leap” in their counter-insurgency effort in the region in full support of the national government’s effort to end local communist armed conflict.
