Arrest of NPA “amazon” 2nd in a week-Phl Army

CATBALOGAN CITY, SAMAR, Philippines — The arrest of Edna Montes, a high-ranking female officer of the CPP-NPA-NDF on Thursday in Guiuan town of Eastern Samar was the second to be effected this week, according to Capt. Amado Guttierez, spokesperson of the 8th Infantry Division based in this city.

Guttierez said the intensified crackdown against members of the rebel group, particularly those with pending arrest warrants, has been gaining grounds as information of their whereabouts continued to flow-in from residents.

Montes, when arrested, used a new name as Ester Belicario, based on a postal ID recovered from her, but a former rebel who allegedly worked with Montes in the underground movement, had positively identified her as the person stipulated in the arrest warrant.

Prior to Montes arrest, a certain Juan Paolo Versoza, allegedly an NPA intelligence officer and his wife Grace, a staff reproduction bureau member of the Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee, were both arrested in Marikina City last June 28, by virtue of an arrest warrant for robbery and homicide from RTC-8th Judicial Region in this city.

The couple was transported back to this city on Monday and was brought to the Samar Police Provincial Office (SPPO) for processing and documentation and for presentation to the court where they are facing their charges.

The Philippine Army, on the other hand, told The Freeman that Montes held various positions in the rebel movement, aside from being the secretary of the Eastern Samar Provincial White Committee, she also headed the educational department of the Eastern Samar Provincial Party Committee.

“Before, she used to be a member of the executive committee of the Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee of the NPA,” Guttierez added.

Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Gerardo Layug, commander of the 8th ID, in a statement said the successive arrests of top ranking NPA members in Eastern Visayas were a result of cooperation by peace-loving people and stakeholders desiring for peace and development in Samar Island.

“With these positive developments from our communities, the 8th ID will continue to play its role in the spirit of bayanihan to make the Island of Samar insurgency-free in the near future,” Layug added. (FREEMAN)