MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Army announced yesterday the neutralization of Edgar Arbitrario, a top New People’s Army (NPA) leader from Mindanao, during an encounter with government troops in Peñablanca town in Cagayan.
Capt. Eduardo Parugal Jr., public affairs office chief of the 5th Infantry Division (ID), said Arbitrario was a known communist terrorist leader with a long history of violence and terrorism in Mindanao.
Parugal added that Arbitrario transferred to Northern Luzon and became secretary of the Komiteng Rehiyon Cagayan Valley.
He said Arbitrario was a native of Davao City and studied Civil Engineering before joining the communist movement in the 1990s,
Maj. Gen. Gulliver Señires, 5th ID commander, said the government would continue to fulfill its mandate of ensuring peace and security in Northern Luzon.
He added that the government also “extends its hand to those who are willing to abandon the armed struggle.”