BALBALAN, Kalinga – The vice squad leader of Squad Uno of the Kilusang Larangang Gerilya (KLG) Baggas of the New Peoples Army (NPA), who was reportedly wounded in a previous encounter with combined police and military forces, was arrested by government forces conducting follow-up operations at sitio Saleng, barangay Balantoy, here, over the weekend.
Police brig. Gen. David K. Peredo, Jr., regional director of the Police Regional Office (PRO) in the Cordillera, described the arrested high ranking NPA official as the No. 9 on the periodic status report threat group for the fourth quarter of 2023 and has standing warrants of arrest for serious offenses, including murder, frustrated murder and attempted murder.
Earlier, joint police and military personnel were conducting a follow-up operation in response to two earlier encounters between law enforcers and NPA rebels in remote areas of the municipality last May 31, 2024.
During the said operation, government troopers discovered a seriously wounded individual in the vicinity of the encounter site who needed immediate medical attention because of injuries on his lower extremities.
The operating troops immediately rushed the victim to the Western Kalinga District Hospital in nearby Lubuagan town for timely medical attention.
Police and military operatives are still conducting follow-up operations in the nearby communities to identify and neutralize the remaining NPA rebels that fled to the said areas aside from the ongoing intelligence gathering to pinpoint the escape routes of the fleeing rebels for them to be arrested. By Dexter A. See
