Reb faction steps up extort activities in Central Luzon

FORT MAGSAYSAY, Palayan City, Nueva Ecija — With the national and local elections fast approaching, a breakaway group of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) in Central Luzon has stepped up its extortion activities, military authorities said.

Maj. Gen. Ernesto Carolina, commanding general of the Army’s 7th Infantry Division (7th ID) based here, said the rebels’ stepped-up extortion activities were confirmed following last Friday’s arrest of Ronaldo Pring, alias Ka Guiller, finance officer of the breakaway Rebolusyonaryong Hukbong Bayan.

Pring was cornered by joint operatives of the Charlie Company of the Army’s 69th Infantry Battalion (IB) under Capt. Ronald Caguioa and 2Lt. Antonio Yago, and the Pampanga provincial police led by Superintendent Oscar Albayalde, in Sitio Pulong Baluyot, Barangay San Francisco, Lubao town.

Pring did not resist arrest. He yielded an Uzi Intratec 9mm. Luger and a magazine loaded with 32 live bullets.

Carolina said lawmen seized from Pring several extortion letters addressed to businessmen, politicians and farmers. — Manny Galvez