After Ka Jinggoy, another high-ranking leader of the New People’s Army (NPA) was arrested by the authorities.
Combined elements of the Philippine Army’s 402nd Infantry Brigade and Police Regional Office in Caraga region arrested Nerita Calamba de Castro at 12:40 a.m. on Thursday in Emenville Subdivision, Barangay Ambago, Butuan City.
Capt. Al Anthony Pueblas, the spokesperson of the 402nd Infantry Brigade under the 4th Infantry Division, said de Castro, also known as Nene/Nening/Nora, is the newly installed finance head of the NPA’s Komisyon Mindanao (KOMMID).
Pueblas said de Castro is in charge of all the extortion activities in Mindanao.
De Castro assumed the post after the arrest of then KOMMID finance head Leonida Guao, alias Leah/Ligaya/Laya, in Barangay Bading, Butuan City on Feb. 2, 2018.
De Castro, a resident of Purok Malinao, Poblacion, Surigao City, Surigao del Norte, was also identified by the military as the secretary of the Regional White Area Committee (RWAC) of North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC).
According to the report, de Castro has a standing warrant of arrest for murder issued by Judge Lilibeth Ladaga of Regional Trial Court 11, Branch 28 in Lianga, Surigao del Sur.
Brig. Gen Franco Nemesio Gacal, the commander of 402nd Infantry Brigade, said de Castro’s arrest “is a big blow on the resource-generation activities of the NPA in Mindanao.”
“The army is hoping that de Castro will cooperate and reveal who are the big contributors or supporters of the NPA,” Gacal added.
