A finance officer of the New People’s Army (NPA) was arrested by the joint military and police operatives in a checkpoint in Gigaquit, Surigao del Norte on Monday at 4:30 p.m.
1Lt Wilfredo Quilang, the acting Civil Military Operation (CMO) officer of 30th Infantry Battalion, identified the suspect as Joselyn Fortuna Curiba, also known as Panie, Lanie and Miles.
Quilang said Curiba is the finance officer of Guerilla Front (GF) 16B and wife of Pablo Logatiman, alias “Lukas”, also a top NPA leader in Surigao del Norte.
Authorities received reports from the concerned citizens on the presence of Curiba in Gigaquit.
Operatives of the 30th IB then formed a team, with the assistance from the 2nd Surigao del Norte Provincial Mobile Force Company (PMFC), 1302nd Mobile Company, Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMFB) 13, 1st Special Action Force Battalion and Gigaquit Municipal Police Station (MPS).
A network of checkpoints was established, leading to the arrest of the suspect.
A tipsters identified Curiba as she tried to pass the checkpoint in Sico-Sico.
Operatives seized a full set of anti-personnel mine (APM), hammock ropes and a police combat shirt from the suspect.
Quilang said Curiba was involved in several “atrocities” in Caraga Region, including the kidnapping and serious illegal detention of Army personnel and CAFGUs stationed in Sibagat, Agusan del Sur in 2018.
