NPA LEADER KILLED. Ranking communist New People’s Army leader Alvin Luque, also known as Joaquin Jacinto, dies during a predawn law enforcement operation conducted by police and military personnel at a resort in Tandag City, Surigao del Sur on Thursday (Dec. 10, 2020). Luque and a still-unidentified companion, who also died, allegedly fought it off with the authorities. (Photo courtesy of SDSPPO)
BUTUAN CITY – A high-ranking communist New People’s Army (NPA) leader was killed in a predawn law enforcement operation in Tandag City, Surigao del Sur on Thursday, police officials said.
Col. James T. Goforth, Surigao del Sur Police Provincial Office director, said National Democratic Front - Mindanao spokesperson Alvin Luque died in a shootout with police and Army personnel who tried to serve several warrants against him at the Hermenias Resort in Tandag City.
“He is facing criminal charges of two counts of murder, kidnapping, and serious illegal detention,” Goforth told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) in a phone interview on Thursday afternoon, referring to Luque, also known as Joaquin Jacinto.
He said Luque, who has a PHP6 million bounty on his head, was killed with a still-unidentified companion during the 1:15 a.m. operation.
The military, in May, said Luque was among the NPA leaders wounded during a series of military operations conducted by the Army’s 4th Infantry Division in Andap Valley Complex, an area that straddles the Surigao del Sur towns of San Miguel, San Agustin, Marihatag, Cagwait, Tago and Lianga.
Goforth said Luque fired at the approaching police and military personnel who were at the resort to serve his arrest warrants.
“His companion also drew a hand grenade that prompted the operating troops to return fire,” he added.
Found near Luque and his companion's bodies were a caliber .45 Remington 1911 pistol, a fragmentation grenade, a 40mm high explosive grenade, 500 rounds of 7.62 ammunition for AK-47 rifle, NPA flags, and subversive documents.
A firing mechanism for an improvised explosive device (IED) was also recovered at the crime scene with one blasting cap, a battery, and a 15-meter electric wire, Goforth said.
Brig. Gen. Romeo M. Caramat Jr., director of the Police Regional Office 13 (Caraga), described Luque's death as "a big leap in the government’s efforts to attain long and lasting peace."
In a statement on Thursday, he said Luque was involved in the attack on a police patrol base in Sibagat, Agusan del Sur in December 2018, and was responsible for the abduction of several Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) members last year.
“He was also present during the release of two personnel of (the) 3rd Special Forces Battalion and six CAFGUs in Sitio Engineering, Barangay San Juan, Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur last February 19, 2019,” Caramat said. (PNA)
