Laguna police arrest ranking NPA leader in Bicol–Solcom report

NAGA CITY, Philippines–A suspected communist rebel leader, said to be the second highest ranking officer of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Bicol, was arrested by the police in Laguna Tuesday night, an Army official said on Wednesday.

Major Angelo Guzman, spokesman of the Southern Luzon Command (Solcom) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said the suspected rebel leader, Reynaldo Hugo, aka “Adel,” “Bitoy,” “Yulo” and “Julian,” was nabbed by lawmen in Cabuyao, Laguna, at 10:40 p.m.

He said Hugo was transferred on Wednesday (Jan. 28) by the Laguna police to the Municipal Police Office in San Jose, Camarines Sur, to face inquest proceedings for charges involving the killings of policemen and soldiers in 2011 and 2012.

Lawmen had served warrants of arrest for multiple murder and multiple frustrated murder for crimes committed in Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte against Hugo, Guzman said.

According to Guzman, Hugo is a member of the executive committee of the NPA in Bicol and an operations officer of the NPA command in the region.

“Hugo dictates the operational tempo of the NPA there,” said Guzman.

He added internal disputes on the extortion money collected in Bicol by the NPA led to some rebels into pinpointing Hugo to authorities.

Guzman said court records showed Hugo was charged in the 2011 killing of Private First Class Larry Magalong in Barangay Malangcao-Basud, Labo, Camarines Norte.

Hugo was also a suspect in the raid of an Army detachment in Barangay Maot, Labo, Camarines Sur, in 2012 that led to the killing of three soldiers–Corporal Amado Perillo Jr., Private First Class Paulo Orticio, Private First Class Teodoro Ojeda Jr.–and a civilian, Francisco Ruales.

Hugo’s group was also charged with the theft of assorted firearms, including six M16A1 rifles, a laptop and a global positioning system device from the detachment.

Guzman said Hugo’s arrest came after three alleged ranking NPA leaders in Bicol were caught in 2014. The three were Mario dela Cruz, tagged by the military as secretary of the NPA in Bicol; Sylvestre Layones, executive committee member, and Elias Florentino Pura, secretary of NPA in Sorsogon.

Major General Ricardo Visaya, Solcom chief, said six other NPA rebels surrendered to the Army and police in Bicol this January.

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