FOUR suspected members of a private armed group said to be connected with suspended Negros Oriental 2nd district Rep. Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves on Thursday were arrested by agents of the Police Regional Office 7 in separate manhunt operations in the province, a report to Philippine National Police chief Gen. Benjamin C. Acorda Jr. said yesterday.

Acorda described the arrest of the four as a “major accomplishment” of the PRO7 in accounting for a number of suspected hired guns believed to be involved in a number of atrocities in Negros Oriental in the past.

Police Regional Office 7 director Brig. Gen. Anthony A. Aberin identified the four as Randy Nobleza, 32; and cousins Alex Rafols, 27; Marlon Piedad, 29; and Windy Rafols, 52.

The official said that the four were arrested in separate operations in Bgy. Minaba in Bayawan City and in Bgy. Poblacion in Dauin municipality on Thursday evening.

Aberin said that Nobleza, a resident of Bgy. Tayawan in Bayawan City, is the subject of a non-bailable warrant of arrest for murder and three other warrants for frustrated murder issued by the Bayawan City Regional Trial Court Branch 63.

The three other suspects are all facing arrest for two counts of frustrated murder issued by the same Bayawan City court.

Aberin said that the four were nabbed in the wake of their stepped-up effort to dismantle all identified PAGs in Negros Oriental.

Intelligence reports showed that the four are members of a PAG involved in a series of deadly gun attacks in the province, which have resulted in the death or injuries of a number of elected public officials, and other persons in the province in the past.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Alfred P. Dalizon