DESPITE the Davao Region being insurgency-free, the 10th Infantry Division arrested a high-ranking leader of the New People’s Army (NPA) who was hiding from authorities in an operation conducted in Purok Magkidong, Barangay Mankilam, Tagum City, Davao del Norte, on Oct. 2.
Major Ruben Gadut, chief of the 10th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office, identified him as Porferio Tuna, Jr., the second deputy secretary and executive committee member of the Southern Mindanao Regional Committee.
The operation involved the 1001st, 1002nd, and 1003rd Infantry Brigades, along with the Regional Intelligence Division of Police Regional Office XI, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) XI, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) XI, and other police units.
The military reported that Tuna, Jr. has been implicated in numerous heinous crimes, including orchestrating an assault on the 60th Infantry Battalion in Barangay Gupitan, Kapalong, Davao del Norte, which led to the death of an officer, and an ambush on July 10, 2014, in Barangay Anitapan, Mabini, Davao de Oro, that resulted in the deaths of two enlisted personnel.
He faces multiple criminal charges, including murder, kidnapping, serious illegal detention, robbery with violence, and attempted homicide.
Tuna, Jr. was previously detained at the Davao del Norte Provincial Jail and was allowed to post bail in 2016 to participate in peace negotiations between the Government of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front Panel in Oslo. After the negotiations, he opted to jump bail and failed to surrender to authorities to face his cases in court.
Major General Allan D. Hambala, commander of the 10th Infantry (Agila) Division, commended the joint efforts of the Agila troopers and other law enforcement agencies, stating that Tuna Jr.’s apprehension is a significant blow to the leadership of the communist terrorist group in Southern Mindanao.
Photo courtesy of 10th ID
