CIDG nabs rebel tagged in burning of a church in Iligan City, 200 more arrested during Holy Week

photo: CIDG
Operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) arrested a communist rebel tagged in the burning of a church Iligan City in 2020 during a follow-up operation in Talakag town of Bukidnon.
CIDG director Maj. Gen, Nicolas Torre III said alias Christopher was collared after his men monitored his presence in Barangay Tikalaan in Talakag town on April 20.
The arrested suspect, according to Torre, is facing violation of Republic Act 9851 (The Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity) for alleged burning of church and houses in 2020.
The arrested suspect is a member of the Hospital Squad under Sub Regional Committee 5, Northern Central Mindanao Regional Committee (SRC-5, NCMRC). He is listed as number 5 most wanted person in Northern Mindanao.
Torre said the arrested suspect was among the fleeing communist rebels who burned the Lord Assembly Church on May 28, 2020 in an attempt to divert the attention of the pursuing soldiers.
The arrested communist rebel was among the more than 200 wanted persons who were arrested in the week-long operation across the country during the Holy Week.

photo: CIDG
Torre said those arrested include 19 people in most wanted persons list, seven foreigners, two jail escapees and suspects involved in the kidnapping-for-ransom with homicide of Filipino-Chinese businessman Anson Que and his Filipino driver.
The same operations, he said, led to the confiscation of 21 loose firearms.
The series of raids, according to Torre, also resulted in the seizure of illegal and substandard products like laptop computers, cigarettes, diapers, chainsaws and fertilizers—all amounting to around P109 million.