CAMP FLORENDO, La Union, Philippines – Two ranking officers of the New People’s Army (NPA) in the Ilocos and Cordillera regions who were implicated in the raid and burning of the police station in Sta. Lucia, Ilocos Sur in 2004 gave themselves up to authorities the other day.
Chief Inspector Julius Suriben, chief of the Regional Special Operations Group, identified the rebel returnees as Samuel Tiuwak Compalas, 53, and Dominador Angdos Basingan, 47, leader and assistant team leader, respectively, of the Polaris Team 2 of the NPA’s Kilusang Larangang Gerilya-De Lara Command. Compalas had a P150,000 bounty. – Jun Elias, Charlie Lagasca