LEGAZPI CITY — Three suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) Special Partisan Unit (SPARU) were arrested on Good Friday, April 2, by police in Mobo town in Masbate province, a police report said Saturday.
Police Colonel Joriz Cantoria, Masbate provincial police chief, identified the suspected NPA hitmen as Larry Masamoc (aka Ka Arnel), 38; Alex Cos Sr. (Ka Dennis), 47; and his brother Ariel (Ka Gino), 42, all farmers from Barangay (village) Tugawe in Mobo.
Cantoria in his report said the arrested suspects were subjects of a long surveillance operation as their names were in the police intelligence list.
Police operatives swooped down on the suspects after they were sighted in Barangay Pinamarbuhan at around 7:30 a.m on Friday.
The suspects who were tagged as members of the NPA Larangan 2 guerilla front operating in Masbate and were caught during the raid. They were tagged as members of SPARU, or assassins of the communist rebels.
Seized from the suspects were a loaded .45 caliber handgun, a hand grenade, and an icepick.
The suspects are now in police custody and are facing charges for illegal possession of firearms and explosives.