Duterte puts retired colonel to anti-communist insurgency task force

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte appointed a retired colonel who was previously dragged into the alleged corruption at the Bureau of Customs as an official of a task force that seeks to end local armed conflict with communists.

Duterte on March 25 signed the appointment paper of Allen Arat Capuyan, who is now the executive director of the National Secretariat of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.

A copy of Capuyan’s appointment paper was released by Malacañang on Saturday.

Capuyan last year reportedly resigned as assistant general manager for security and emergency services of the Manila International Airport Authority, months after alleged Customs fixer Mark Taguba described him as "big brother" and linked him in the alleged corruption at the BOC during the Senate hearing into the smuggling of P6.4-million worth of shabu.

Duterte later appointed Capuyan as his presidential adviser for indigenous peoples’ concerns.