Cops, soldiers arrest long-wanted ranking NPA official

COTABATO CITY — Combined policemen and soldiers arrested a leader of the New People’s Army, wanted for high-profile crimes, in an anti-terror operation in Tagum City, Davao del Norte on Wednesday, October 2.

Radio reports in Central Mindanao cities on Saturday quoted Major Gen. Allan Hambala, commander of the Army’s 10th Infantry Division, as saying that Porferio Dianco Tuna Jr., second deputy secretary of the NPA’s Southern Mindanao Regional Committee, is now locked in a police detention facility, awaiting prosecution for multiple murder, frustrated murder, kidnapping and armed robbery.

Hambala stated that Tuna and several NPA guerrillas were responsible for an attack a few years ago on members of the 60th Infantry Battalion in Barangay Gupitan, Kapalong, Davao del Norte, which resulted in the death of an Army officer.

Hambala said Tuna and his followers had killed two enlisted Army personnel in an ambush on July 10, 2014 in Barangay Anitapan in Mabini, Davao de Oro.   

Hambala said Tuna was cornered in Purok Magkidong in Barangay Mankilam in Tagum City by combined personnel of different units of the Police Regional Office-11, operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-11 and 10th ID’s intelligence agents.

He said the operation that resulted in the arrest of Tuna was carried out with the help of informants aware of his presence in the area.