3 ‘NPA’ members nabbed for burning 2 Philex Mines trucks
>> Saturday, February 18, 2017
TUBA, Benguet -- Suspected
members of the New People’s Army allegedly responsible for the burning of two
Volvo trucks of Philex Mining Corp. around 7:30 a.m. Thursday at Sitio
Tapak Ampucao, Tuba, Benguet are now in custody of Benguet Police Provincial
Office.
Benguet
police filed cases of arson, robbery and illegal possession of ammunition
against Sarah Abellon, Promencio Cortez (also known as Antonio Cabalse) and
Marciano Passon Sagun.
They were arrested in a checkpoint around
8:25 a.m. Thursday during hot pursuit operation when they were caught at
Tiptop, Gibraltar, Baguio City where the transient house they rented was also
located, said regional police information officer Chief Insp. Carolina Lacuata
Based on intelligence reports of
Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police, Abellon is
secretary of the Sub-Regional Military Area Command of the New People’s Army
while Cortez who carries a P4.8 million peso reward for his arrest are high-ranking
officials of the communist group.
A police report said prior to
burning incident, suspects were planning
to raid the mining firm and cart away firearms of security agency in the area.
The report said the NPA raid was preempted
by operatives of Police Regional Office Cordillera and the 5O3rd Brigade
Philippine Army.
Realizing that their plans can no
longer materialize, the report said arrested suspects, who were part of the NPA
group contended with burning the two Volvo trucks.
Operatives of the PNP and AFP are
still in pursuit of the main body of insurgents who escaped by splitting up and
going different directions in Tuba and Itogon towns.
Other sources said a firefight
between insurgents and police reportedly ensued Thursday at km 4, Tuba, along
Kennon Road.
This, as Baguio police searched the
transient house rented by the suspects and confiscated personal belongings,
several gadgets, assorted ammunitions and P 850,000 believed to be
revolutionary tax collection used as operational fund of the NPA.
Police
placed nearby Baguio City and parts of Benguet on red alert as manhunt for
their cohorts was intensified.
A
police report said the suspects, who were aboard two getaway vehicles were
intercepted at the Tiptop checkpoint after police were tipped off that these –
an Isuzu DMAX with plate number ZRH 321 and a Blue Innova with conduction
sticker VJ 3573.
They
were reportedly seen by witnesses at crime site when the trucks were burned.
Senior Supt. Angelito A. Casimiro, police
deputy regional director for operations earlier said five members of alleged
armed NPA guerillas with long firearms including
one amazon burned said trucks.
This, as militant groups in Baguio held
a rally Friday at Malcolm Square, Baguio calling for the release of Abellon
saying she was a board director of the RDC-Kaduami, a nongovernment
organization.
At press time, heavy presence of
policemen checking vehicles along roads, was noted in Baguio and Kennon Road
where three still unidentified gagged women were found dead Wednesday, their
hands tied.
This, as regional police director
Chief Supt Elmo Francis Sarona urged the public not to believe unverified and
unfounded information circulating in the social media about the series of
incidents related to the incidents.
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