Two suspected high-ranking members of the New People’s Army are already detained at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in Bukidnon after they were arrested in Barangay Lagao, General Santos city on July 4.
Maj. Ezra Balagtey, the spokesperson of Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom), identified the two as Maria Limbaga Unabia, resident of Koronadal, South Cotabato, and the secretary of the regional urban committee; and Francis Madria, of Malaybalay, Bukidnon, finance officer of the North Central Mindanao Regional Committee.
The two were turned over to the Bukidnon Regional Trial Court after they were arrested in an inter-agency law enforcement operations in Barangay Lagao, General Santos City.
They were arrested by virtue of the warrants of arrest (CC NO. 29243-16 and CC NO. 29241-16 and 29242-16) for the crimes of murder, frustrated murder, and attempted murder issued by the Regional Trial Court in Bukidnon.
He also said that 11 persons were also arrested and charged for violation of PD 1829 or obstruction of justice after they tried to prevent the arresting team from executing the warrant against the two suspects.
The 11 arrested persons were detained at the General Santos Police Office pending their commitment order by the court and other legal procedures.
However, they were granted temporary liberty by Judge Emilio O Quianzon Jr., vice executive judge of the City Trial Court, when he allowed the group of Congressman Carlos Zarate of Bayan Muna and Ali Macalintal of Karapatan Socsksargen to post bail on their behalf with the amount of P36,000 each on July 6.
The inter-agency law enforcement operations composed of PNP units, NICA 12, and Joint Task Force GenSan came after an intelligence report stating that some suspected members of NPA will converge in an undisclosed place in General Santos to assess and plan for the ouster of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Meanwhile, the PNP General Santos, assisted by a legal team from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, is on the process of applying for the issuance of a search warrant to allow the conduct of forensic examination on the confiscated electronic gadgets from the arrested persons.
Immediately after the arrest, Lt. Gen. Benjamin R. Madrigal Jr., commander of the Eastern Mindanao Command, directed his subordinates to intensify security operations to deny any group, particularly the communists in conducting atrocities, in relation to the directive of Jose Maria Sison to oust President Duterte.
“While we are protecting our communities from atrocities, let us further intensify our security operations to deny the terrorist group from conducting atrocities and subversive acts in furtherance of the directive of the communist leadership to oust President Duterte illegally,” Madrigal said.
