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Another ranking NPA leader nabbed in Sarangani

By Allen Estabillo

October 18, 2019, 8:15 pm

<p><span lang="EN-US"><strong>NABBED.</strong> Brig. Gen. Alfred Corpus, director of Police Regional Office-12, announces the arrest of Jonie Calaba, the vice commander of the NPA’s Guerilla Front 73, on Thursday (Oct. 17, 2019). Calaba's group is allegedly responsible for the burning of heavy equipment owned by an agricultural firm in Kalamansig town, Sultan Kudarat in 2015. <em>(File photo courtesy of PRO-12)</em></span></p>

NABBED. Brig. Gen. Alfred Corpus, director of Police Regional Office-12, announces the arrest of Jonie Calaba, the vice commander of the NPA’s Guerilla Front 73, on Thursday (Oct. 17, 2019). Calaba's group is allegedly responsible for the burning of heavy equipment owned by an agricultural firm in Kalamansig town, Sultan Kudarat in 2015. (File photo courtesy of PRO-12)

GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- A team of Army and police personnel arrested another ranking leader of the New People’s Army (NPA) in a law enforcement operation early this week in Sarangani province.

Lt. Col. Lino Capellan, public information officer of the Police Regional Office (PRO-12), said suspect Jonie Calaba, 25, was arrested on Monday in Maitum town, Sarangani.

In a report released late Thursday, Capellan said that Calaba, a resident of Kalamansig town, Sultan Kudarat, is the vice commander of the NPA’s Guerilla Front 73.

The suspect reportedly headed the Platoon Cherry Mobile of Front 73, which operates in Barangay San Jose here; Banga, Tupi, Polomolok, Lake Sebu, and T’boli towns in South Cotabato; and Kiamba in Sarangani.

“He has a standing warrant of arrest for arson, with no bail recommended,” Capellan said.

He said Calaba’s group was responsible for the burning of heavy equipment owned by Silvicultural Industries Inc. on March 7, 2015 in Kalamansig town in Sultan Kudarat, which left a damage of PHP35 million.

Brig. Gen. Alfred Corpus, PRO-12 director, said that Calaba, currently in the custody of the Sarangani Police Provincial Office, is among the NPA personalities who were either captured, surrendered, or slain within the month.

On October 9, Ramel Baltukan Matagal, a team leader of the NPA’s Front 71 surrendered to the Sarangani police and the Army’s 73rd Infantry Battalion reportedly due to “unbearable hardship and fear of losing his life” due to the intensified government operations against the rebel group.

The next day, NPA member Tirso Camral Andres, who was tagged as South Cotabato’s number one most wanted person, was slain in an operation in Lake Sebu town.

Andres was facing multiple charges, among them for murder, frustrated murder, attempted murder, and cattle rustling.

On the same day, Nicanor Claro Pason alias “Ronron/Costan,” the secretary of the NPA’s Front 73, and three other rebels were arrested in an operation in Maitum, Sarangani.

Pason has standing warrants of arrest for murder, frustrated murder, rebellion, kidnapping, and serious illegal detention.

Corpus credited the help of community stakeholders in “weakening the line” of NPA units in the region.

“We mean business on this aspect. Rest assured that we will remain steadfast in our mandate to protect our land from internal and external threats through results-based actions,” he added. (PNA)

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