Bago City, Negros Occidental (Google maps)
Government security forces claimed on Tuesday that they had dealt a “big blow” to the New People’s Army (NPA) following the arrest of two ranking officers in charge of the insurgents’ logistics and finance.
At a press conference, Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Ronald dela Rosa was referring to the arrest of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-NPA’s chief logistics officer, Louie Antonio Martinez, who goes by the alias Louie Castro, and Aurora Cayon, a staff member of the CPP-NPA national finance commission.
Both were arrested by joint teams of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the Army’s 16th intelligence and security unit last Oct. 19 in Bago City by virtue of arrest warrants for robbery with violence or intimidation, arson, murder and multiple counts of attempted murder.
Additional charges of illegal possession of firearms, ammunition and explosives will be filed with the Kabankalan City Prosecutor’s Office against the duo.
“(B)eing top leaders of the organization, this is a major setback as far as the communist-inspired insurgency perpetrated by the CPP-NPA (is concerned),” said the Army chief of staff, Brig. Gen. Gilbert Gapay.
Gapay explained that the NPA’s “resource-generation” mostly involved extortion from mining and agro-industrial companies, infrastructure project contractors and private individuals.
He claimed that from Jan. to Sept. this year, the NPA had generated about P1.2-billion through extortion activities in Mindanao.
Maute supporter
The PNP-CIDG also confirmed the arrest early this month in Valenzuela City of Aminkisa Macadato, a son of former Butig, Lanao del Sur, Mayor Ibrahim Macadato, who was allegedly part of a Feb. 2016 Maute Group’s attack on an Army detachment in the province.
PNP-CIDG deputy director for administration Noli Romana said that Macadato “was also involved in the facilitation of firearms, ammunition and food stuff deliveries, and assisting wounded comrades of the Maute group in Butig (town).”