Arrested NPA leader a bomb expert - AFP

A military official yesterday confirmed that one of the two New People's Army (NPA) officials who were recently arrested for extortion is a bomb expert.

Col. Oscar Lasangue, group commander of the Civil Relations Group of the Central Command, said that Sharon Abangan is a bomb expert who was tasked to procure explosives for the rebels.

Lasangue said Abangan claimed to be a bomb expert during his tactical interrogation, adding that the rebel leader knows how to make explosives because he used to make dynamite for fishing.

The military official, however, did not give additional details when asked whether Abangan has already procured the explosives, only saying that they are still verifying if the NPA already has the explosives, which he said might be used as land mine.

He also did not comment when asked about the possibility that the explosives will be used by the NPA to sabotage the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in December.

Criminal Investigation and Detection Group chief Jose Jorge Corpuz earlier revealed the alleged plan of the NPA to "create havoc" during the summit to embarrass the government.

According to Corpuz, Abangan and the other NPA leader, Gerard Lavadia, admitted the NPA's plan during investigation.

Aside from disrupting the summit, the legal fronts of the NPA are also planning to hold their own Asia Pacific Conference of the International Leagues of People Struggle in December, which will be participated by international delegates supportive of the communist movement.

The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, an alleged front of the NPA, had confirmed the plan. Paul Rodriguez, Bayan president in Central Visayas, however denied that they are planning to sabotage the ASEAN Summit and that the NPA is funding their summit from extorted money.

Lavadia, 34, and Abangan, 33, were arrested in South Central Market in Talisay City during a joint entrapment operation conducted by the military and police. - Fred P. Languido