A suspected spy for the New People's Army (NPA) was arrested in a joint military and police operation in Bohol on Thursday.
First Lieutenant Elma Grace Remonde, civil military operations (CMO) officer of the Bohol-based 47th Infantry Battalion (47IB), identified the suspect as 43-year-old Junifie Dagale with aliases "Chang," "Tanya," "Habagat" and "Inang."
Dagale is allegedly a member of the Intelligence Unit of Regional Operational Command under the Southern Mindanao Regional Committee (SMRC) operating in Davao region.
She was arrested by virtue of a warrant of arrest for murder issued by Judge Virginia Tehano-Ang, of Tagum, Davao del Norte Regional Trial Court.
The warrant of arrest was served while Dagale was inside the house of her husband's relative in Barangay Aguining, Carlos P. Garcia town at 8:30 a.m.
"Ka Chang/Tanya/Habagat/Inang is an expert in the deception and exploitation of mass and youths with the CPP-NPA-NDF (Communist Party of the Philippines - NPA - National Democratic Front) fraud ideologies," Remonde said.
"As a member of the Intelligence Unit, her recruited youths became members of 'Asdang Kultura,' a pseudo-cultural theater group composed of children and teenage youths (who) were harnessed for gathering information and monitoring of the presence of government troops during assaults," she added.
Remonde said Dagale has been monitored by the authorities after she became the leader of the Guerilla Front 33 of the SMRC. The guerilla front operates in Davao region.
Remonde said Dagale is involved "in major acts of terrorism," citing the rebel leader's alleged participation in raids, arson, kidnapping and ambush using improvised explosive device (IEDs).
The most recent of these attacks include the burning of Lapanday Corporation Plastic Plant in Buhangin District and Lorenzo Farm in Calinan District both in Davao City in April 2017, according to Remonde.
The incident resulted in the death of a fish vendor during the explosion of an IED, the military officer noted.
Dagale's team was also tagged in the burning of Macondray Plastic Plant in Panabo City.
When Dagale became a member of the intelligence unit of SMRC in Davao region, she allegedly got involved in NPA raids in Linda Patrol Base, Nabunturan, Davao de Oro in 2008; Napungas Patrol Base in Asuncion, Davao del Norte in 2010; and the Earth Savers Security Agency in Libertad, Butuan City in 2012.
Dagale was also linked in the abduction of a provincial jail warden in Panabo City, Davao del Norte in 2013; and in the planned ambush of government troops and members of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Kapalong, Davao del Norte in 2014 that caused the death of an army officer.
Remonde added that Dagale's group conducted two more raids in 2015 targeting a mining compound in Monkayo, Davao de Oro and the Mati Police station.
"The successful apprehension of Junifie Dagale simply means that the Province of Bohol is not a safe haven for NPA members who want to hide and flee from their outrages," Remonde said
"Boholanos are far more vigilant in sending reports whenever they see new faces around their community," she said.