BACOLOD CITY — A suspected leader of the New People’s Army (NPA) in southern Negros Occidental who was arrested by government troops in Sitio Gusnit, Barangay Pinggot, Ilog over the weekend, has been charged with illegal possession of firearms.
Civil-military operations officer of the 15th Infantry Battalion (IB), 1st Lt. Cesarjin Manalon, said Tuesday the suspect, Bobby Pedro, also known as “Reymark Labrador”, was charged after he was endorsed to the Ilog Municipal Police.
The Army identified Pedro as the official liaison of the Southwest Front Extortion Group of the NPA’s Armando Sumayang Jr. Command, Southwest Negros. He was allegedly in charge of the communication and official correspondence, as well as the collection of extortion money.
Pedro, a resident of Sitio Escalante, Barangay Camdangan, Sipalay City, was arrested by troops of the 15th IB after he was spotted with armed companions entering the house of a certain Noe Castillo last Saturday.
He yielded a 9-mm. pistol with two magazines loaded with 37 ammunition, six rounds of 5.56-mm. ammunition, a cellular phone, acupuncture needles, envelopes, subversive documents, and PHP3,058 in cash.
In a press statement, Lt. Col. Protacio Tomales, 15th Battalion commander, cited the assistance of the community as vital to the success of their operation.
The barangay residents provided the troops timely and reliable information on the presence of rebels extorting money from them, he added.
“We will continue with our anti-terrorist and counter-terrorist operation to ensure the safety and security of the Negrenses,” Tomales said. (PNA)
