THE ‘focused’ anti-terrorism campaign being waged by the government continues to gain success with the apprehension of the remaining ranking leaders of the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) in Luzon and Mindanao.
On Tuesday, November 16, 2021, Philippine National Police (PNP) director general, P/Lt. General Dionardo Carlos, announced the capture of nearly the entire regional leadership of the CPP in Northern Luzon/Cagayan Valley KR-CV), headed by Gil ‘Elmo’ Peralta, at a house along San Pedro Bautista St., Bgy. Maribolo, Quezon City.
Government records identified Peralta as CPP regional party secretary for Cagayan and a member of the CPP Central Committee that comprised the party’s highest leadership.
Carlos added that Peralta was also among the top terrorist leaders who prepared the CPP’s Second National Congress held in Surigao del Sur from October 24 to November 7, 2016.
Philippine Army M/Gen. Laurence Mina, commander, 5th Infantry Division, Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom), in a separate statement, said Peralta has standing warrants for murder and arson.
“As the secretary of the KR-CV, Gil Peralta is responsible for all the terroristic acts including the extortion activities of the Communist NPA Terrorists (CNTs) in Cagayan Valley Region,” Mina bared.
In a follow-up operation by the joint police and military units, 5 staffers of Peralta were also arrested at a house in Bgy. San Vicente, Sta. Maria, Bulacan, on the same day, namely:
Irene ‘Ayang’ Agcaoili, KR-CV finance officer; Lourdes ‘Simang’ Bulan, member, KR-CV executive committee; Roy Aguilar ‘Mick/Bone/Niño’ dela Cruz, KR-CV Intel Officer; Arcadio Corpus ‘Mariano Ramos’ Tangonan; and, Natividad Manuel Santos.
Agcoili and Bulan also have standing warrants for murder and multiple attempted murder with Agcaoili also having a bounty of P700,000 for her arrest.
Seized from their possession are 3 pistols, 1 Colt M16, 3 hand grenades, several improvised explosive devices (IEDs), blasting caps and P636,000 cash.
The arresting team also recovered several campaign tarpaulins for Gabriela and Bayan Muna partylists, both of which are known front organizations of the CPP in Congress.
Carlos said the group of Peralta has also been tagged by their former comrades who have surrendered as comprising the so-called ‘Manila Support Group’ (MSG) that facilitated the terrorist acts, recruitment and extortion activities of the KR-CV in the National Capital Region.
They also accused Peralta of corruption by using the CPP money for his own gain.
“The arrested high ranking CNTs are the very same people giving direction to the Regional Committee of Cagayan Valley,” Mina continued.
“Their successful arrest will create a huge impact in their organization due to leadership vacuum. This in effect will eventually lead to their collapse,” the military official added.
More arrest, surrender of terrorist leaders
On Monday, November 15, 2021, at his first media engagement as PNP Chief, Carlos also announced the capture a day in Malolos, Bulacan, of a former member of the executive committee of the Southern Tagalo Regiona Party Committee (STRPC).
Police records identified Ujano as a member of STRPC’s Kilusan sa Larangang Guerilla Luzon/Mayon and also allegedly participated in the execution of NPA members suspected to be government spies during the CPP-NPA purge dubbed “Operation Missing Link” (OPML) in the late ‘80s.
In Mindanao, 4th Infantry Division commander, M/Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., also reported the arrest last November 15, of one of the front commanders of Guerilla Front 16 under the CPP’s Northeastern Mindanao Regional Party Committee (NEMRPC).
Brawner identified the suspect as Gelan ‘Weng’ Ybanes, head, SYP-16B (Sandatahang Yunit Propaganda), who was nabbed by joint elements from the 30th Infantry Battalion, 901st Brigade, Bayugan City Police Office and the PNP Region 13 (PRO-13).
Ybanez, who has a warrant for his arrest, was nabbed while hiding out in Bgy. Poblacion, Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur.
Seized from the suspect was a .45 caliber pistol and fragmentation grenade.
In Cabanglasan, Bukidnon, Brawner also reported the surrender of 6 NPA fighters on November 14, who also turned in their assault weapons.
Brawner said the ‘surrenderees’ were led by Bernie M. Sinunta alias Boboy, the Intel Officer/Vice Commanding Officer (VCO) of the North Central Mindanao Regional Committee’s (NCRMC) Sub-Regional Committee 2 (SRC2).
Sinunta brough with him 5 of his comrades, namely:
Junie Orque alias Bigboy, the Squad Leader, Squad 1, Platoon Bagsik, Guerilla Front Malayag, SRC2; Ting R Arellano alias Ting, Team Leader Abe of Squad 2, SRSDG Peddler, SRC2; Jorlito R Arellano alias Jimboy, Team Leader Baking of Squad 2, SRSDG PEDDLER, SRC2;
Rickian D Ampildon alias Pikoy, Security Officer/Team Leader Baking of Squad 1, SRSDG PEDDLER, SRC2; and, Marjon T Pasco alias Reden, the Team Leader Abe of Squad 2, SRSDG PEDDLER, SRC2.
The group said they decided to surrender as demoralization has gripped the terrorist movement in Bukidnon with the death of Jorge ‘Ka Oris’ Madlos during a military assault on their terrorist camp in Bgy. Dumalaguing, Impasugong, Bukidnon last October 30, 2021.
Madlos was the highest ranking CPP leader in Mindanao and head of the NPA’s National Operational Command (NOC), according to the military. He was also described as the ‘Butcher of Mindanao’ by the indigenous communities.
Aside from demoralization, the group added they could barely eat due to the scarcity of food and supplies and could also barely rest due to the incessant focus military operation in the province.
They also surrendered 6 assault rifles, consisting of Cal 5.56mm Colt M4 Rifle, 3 Cal 5.56mm M16 Rifles, and 2 Cal 7.62mm M14 Rifles.
Brawner said the surrender was facilitated by the division’s intelligence unit and members of the 88th IB, 403rd Brigade under Lt. Col. Christian James Vingno and B/Gen. Ferdinand Barandon, respectively.