CONNER, Apayao – Two suspected recruiters of the New People’s Army (NPA) were arrested in a police checkpoint on Conner-Tuguegarao City Road here last Sunday, June 12.
They were identified as alias “Ka Cris,” 36, of San Mateo, Isabela and Quezon City, and alias “Ka Zin,” 30, of Malabon City.
Police Col. Reynaldo Ogay Jr., Apayao Police Provincial Office chief, said personnel of the 2nd Apayao Provincial Mobile Force Company received a call at around 8 a.m. from the Kabugao Municipal Police Station informing them that suspected NPA rebels were seen riding three motorcycles in front of a gasoline station on Conner-Apayao Road, Sitio Iyapan, Kabugao, this province, on their way to Conner-Tuguegarao Road.
Ogay said joint police personnel mounted a checkpoint and stopped the motorcycles at 9:30 a.m. on Conner-Tuguegarao Road here.
One of the three motorcycles immediately approached the police and its occupants from Barangay Dagara, Kabugao told lawmen that they were being taken by the suspects to a place in Tuao, Cagayan.
The NPA recruiters from the Ilocos-Cordillera Regional Committee (ICRC), Kilusang Larangang Guerilla (KLG)-North Abra under the command of Florencio Malaga Baloga, alias “Bram,” surrendered and were taken to the Conner police headquarters.
Recovered from them were three black bags, a red backpack, a sling bag, one upper garment pixelated green for the Special Action Force, one lower garment short pant Desert Storm, seven sterilized acupuncture needles, one white android mobile phone with Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) card, a black flashlight, plastic lunchbox, stainless razor blade, two alcohol sprayers, medicines, paper and notebook with code numbers and call signs, and subversive documents believed to be used in their recruitment.
They have been charged with violating Section 10 (Recruitment to and Membership in a Terrorist Organization) of Republic Act (RA) 11479 that prevents, prohibits, and penalizes terrorism.