Joint police and military operatives have arrested two high-ranking officials of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) in a checkpoint in Bulalacao, Oriental Mindoro.
Maj. Gen. Roberto Capulong, commander of the 2nd Infantry Division, said the conduct of the checkpoint was part of follow-up operation on the clash that erupted in Mansalay town.
He identified those arrested as a certain Ems, deputy secretary of the Southern Tagalog Regional Party Committee (STRPC) and Kagawaran ng Rehiyon sa Edukasyon (KARED), and alias Patrick, a regional staff of KARED sa Edukasyon and former platoon leader of the communist rebels operating in Mimaropa (Mindoro Oriental and Occidental, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan).
Capulong said the two were collared on July 13 in a checkpoint in Sitio Banti in Barangay San Roque.
Seized from them were a caliber .38 pistol, one M203 grenade launcher, a hand grenade, and improvised explosive device components.
Capulong said the arrested CPP-NPA leaders were turned over to the Bulalacao Municipal Police Station.