Alleged red leader nabbed

MANILA, Philippines — A suspected ranking member of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF), who is wanted for several crimes, was arrested in Quezon City yesterday.

Philippine National Police chief Lt. Gen. Dionardo Carlos said Gil Peralta was caught by a team led by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) at a house in Barangay Mariblo at around 3 a.m.

Peralta was apprehended based on a warrant of arrest for frustrated murder and arson issued by a court in Aparri, Cagayan.

Police said a 5.56mm firearm, a 9mm handgun, an MK2 fragmentation grenade, 32 bullets and several paraphernalia for manufacturing improvised explosive devices were seized from Peralta, said to be the secretary of the Komiteng Rehiyon–Cagayan Valley and a CPP central committee member.

“Peralta is likewise one of the brains behind the many NPA attacks in the Cagayan Valley region, including the burning of DDT Construction equipment in the town of Lal-lo, Cagayan in October 2020,” Carlos said in a news briefing at Camp Crame.

The suspect is also allegedly involved in the attack on a CAFGU Active Auxiliary detachment in Sto Niño, Cagayan in July 2019.

Peralta was also implicated in the murder of former Lasam, Cagayan councilor Marjorie April Salazar, Eduardo Asuten, John Rey Cortes and Aiza Calvador Manuel.

CIDG director Maj. Gen. Albert Ignatius Ferro said five more alleged rebels were arrested in San Vicente in Santa Maria, Bulacan: Irene Agcaoli, Lourdes Bulan, Roy dela Cruz, Arcadio Tangonan and Natividad Santos. They are said to be members of the CPP’s Manila Group and engaged in extortion activities.

A cache of firearms and improvised explosives devices was seized from them.