TACLOBAN, Philippines — Two communist leaders operating in Eastern Visayas were arrested in joint police and military operations in Bulacan on Friday.
Rosita Taboy and her partner Antonio Legaspi were apprehended in Barangay Gaya-Gaya in San Jose del Monte, Capt. Jefferson Mariano, spokesperson for the 8th Infantry Division (ID), said.
Mariano said Taboy, who has a P5.25 million bounty on her head, is a member of the executive committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) in Eastern Visayas and finance commission of the National Democratic Front.
Legaspi is with the CPP-NPA’s national operations command, Mariano said.
Criminal Investigation and Detection Group director Brig. Gen. Romeo Caramat said Taboy, who has pending arrest warrants for arson, murder and frustrated murder, was the target of the operation.
A .45-caliber pistol, a .38-caliber revolver, a C4 bomb, blasting caps, assorted cell phones, a laptop and subversive documents were reportedly recovered from the suspects.
Maj. Gen. Camilo Ligayo, 8th ID commander, said the arrest of the couple is “another victory” due to the combined efforts of the police and military in the pursuit of peace and security in the country. — Emmanuel Tupas