Top NPA rebels arrested in Ecija

Authorities said yesterday two alleged top communist rebel leaders operating in Nueva Ecija province were arrested by combined Army and police operatives in a raid in a safehouse in Barangay Dimasalang in Talavera town last week.

Senior Superintendent Agripino Javier, PNP provincial director, identified the two communist leaders as Emeterio Antalan, alias Ka Jigs/Elgy of the CPP’s provincial party committee (PPC) in Nueva Ecija and Edgardo Friginal, alias Reynold/Archie, commander of the NPA’s Sandatahang Gerilya.

Javier said Antalan is facing a string of charges of multiple murder, robbery and arson at the San Jose City Regional Trial Court, while Friginal is facing charges of murder, kidnapping and illegal possession of firearms committed in nearby Aurora province. Antalan and Friginal carried a reward of P2 million and P1 million, respectively.

Javier told The STAR that the two top communist leaders were arrested in a house in Barangay Dimasalang, Talavera town Wednesday afternoon by joint teams of the Nueva Ecija police, the 702nd Infantry Brigade under Lt. Col. Anthony Alcantara and intelligence operatives from the Army’s 7th Infantry Division (7th ID).

Government operatives recovered two carbine rifles and an M16 rifle, as well as rebel documents, a laptop computer and four mobile phones from the arrested personalities.

Maj. Ferdinand Los Banez, spokesman of the Army’s 7th Infantry Division, which has jurisdiction over Central Luzon, said in a phone interview that the arrest of the two top ranking leaders of the NPA in Nueva Ecija has created a leadership vacuum in the organization, at least in the province.

“They are the ones issuing orders here so with their arrest, we can say that they could not move,” he said, adding that the military is going to take the advantage of conducting more combat operations against the rebel group.

He said the two arrested NPA commanders have been turned over to Branch 38 of the San Jose RTC, which is hearing their cases.

The arrest of Antalan and Friginal took place on the same day Elizabeth Principe, also a suspected top rebel leader in Cagayan Valley was captured at a shopping complex in Cubao, Quezon City.

Principe, according to authorities, is a regular member of the CPP’s central committee and secretary of the Cagayan Valley regional committee.

She was arrested by virtue of six warrants issued by courts in Region II for charges of rebellion, kidnapping with double murder, three counts of robbery with murder and robbery with arson.

Javier also said that with their arrest, the PNP and the Army have broken the backbone of the CPP-NPA in Nueva Ecija since they are considered the No. 1 and No. 2 men in the province.   – With Ric Sapnu