MANILA – A ranking member of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) identified as Evangeline Rapanut alias "Chat/Ines" was arrested Tuesday by military and police operatives in a joint operation in Dasmariñas City, Cavite.
Rapanut was arrested based on warrant of arrests for murder and frustrated murder she and her accomplices committed in the Cagayan Valley region.
The suspect was cornered in Greenwood Heights Subdivision, Barangay Paliparan 1, Dasmariñas City, 5th Infantry Division spokesperson Capt. Rigor Pamittan said.
Rapanut was the former Secretary of Komiteng Rehiyon-Cagayan Valley (KR-CV), and a current CPP Central Committee member; 2nd Deputy Secretary for Organization and Deputy Secretary, National Education Department (NED) of the CPP-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (NPA-NDF).
Pamittan said the suspect has been in the underground movement since the 1970s until she became a full-time NPA member in the mid-1970s.
Randy Belen Tamayo alias Deng, communication staff of the NED of the CPP-NPA-NDF was also arrested during the operation.
Seized from the suspects were an M-16 "Blackwater Bushmaster" assault rifle, one magazine assembly with 18 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition, one 9mm Armscor pistol, one magazine assembly for 9mm with six rounds of ammunition, one hand grenade, four detonating cords, one blasting cap, one Kingston USB flash drive with 8Gb memory, and several cellular phones and electronic devices.
"Rapanut is responsible for mass orientations to radicalize especially the youth, students, and vulnerable sectors such as indigenous people, trade unions, urban poor, and farmers purposely to recruit additional political and military cadres in support of the recovery of Komiteng Probinsya (KOMPROB) Batangas under Southern Tagalog Regional Party Committee (STRPC) and expansion into parts of Cavite and Central Quezon as the center of manufacturing and industrial establishments in Southern Tagalog," Pamittan said.
As this developed, 5th Infantry Division commander Maj. Gen. Laurence E. Mina congratulated the combined government forces on the successful neutralization of high-ranking CPP members.
“The apprehension of Evangeline Rapanut and Randy Tamayo will lead to the exposure of the CTG's (communist terrorist group) nationwide extortion operations, infiltration into the different sectors of society, the conduct of terroristic activities, and their international and local political works, particularly their use of front organizations. Their arrest will further weaken the CTG which is now on the verge of collapse due to the successive government operations that resulted in the neutralization and apprehension of its Party leadership,” he said.
Mina also said that the arrest of Rapanut and Tamayo could not have been made possible without the professionalism and competence of the government forces involved, and the strong support of the people.
Earlier, Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has successfully cleared or dismantled 56 New People's Army (NPA) guerrilla fronts.
This took place in 2016 when President Rodrigo R. Duterte assumed the helm of the country up to April this year, Lorenzana said during Day 1 of the Duterte Legacy Summit held at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay
"Sa dako naman ng AFP, tayo ay nagsasagawa ng mga operasyon laban sa NPA at ibang local terrorists, nalinis natin ang limampu't anim guerrilla fronts (ng) NPA (On the AFP, we have conducted operations against the NPA and other local terrorist groups, we have so far cleared 56 guerrilla fronts of the NPA)," he said.
Lorenzana, who is Security Justice and Peace Cabinet Cluster chair, also said that 314 key and ranking leaders of the communist terrorist group have been neutralized so far.
Neutralized refers to terrorist members who were surrendered, captured or killed by security forces.
He also maintained the AFP has been very active against other local terrorist groups as security forces have neutralized 1,544 Abu Sayyaf Group along with 971 Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and 1,427 Dawlah Islamiya members from 2016 up to 2021.
Lorenzana added that the largest effort probably conducted by the AFP against local terrorist group took place during the Siege of Marawi City in 2017 which lasted for five months.
"Marahil ang isa sa pinakamalaking ginawa natin ay ang pagpapanagot sa mga umatake at naglapastangan sa syudad ng Marawi noong 2017. Naging matagumpay tayo sa pagpigil sa ISIS na makapagtatag ng kuta sa ating bansa. Hindi po natin kinakalimutan ang mga bayaning nagsakripisyo at nag-alay ng kanilang buhay upang mapalayang muli ang Marawi. Saludo po kami sa inyo (Probably one of the biggest operations conducted by the AFP against local terrorist groups are the operations aimed at punishing those who attacked and violated Marawi City in 2017. We have been successful in preventing ISIS from establishing a base or foothold in our country. We will never forget the sacrifices of our heroes who have laid down their lives to liberate Marawi. We salute all of you)," the DND chief said. (With report from Priam Nepomuceno/PNA)
