A New People’s Army cadre, who has a P700,000 bounty on his head was caught in Balbalan, Kalinga on the evening of June 8.
Joint operatives of the Police Regional Office-Cordillera arrested Pancho Diwag Lunes alias Edgar, 54, and a former Militia ng Bayan member under Lejo Cawilan Command of the Ilocos-Cordillera Regional Committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA.
He was arrested by virtue of the warrant of arrest issued by Judge Marcelino Wakas of the Tabuk Regional Trial Court Branch 25.
Lunes, who was arrested at Sitio Ubel in Barangay Gawaan, is wanted for double murder and multiple frustrated murder without recommended bail.
He is also listed under the PRO-Cordillera’s wanted CPP-NPA members based from the Department of National Defense-Department of Interior and Local Government Joint Order 14-2012.
Kalinga Police Director Col. Davy Limmong said the arrested suspect was reportedly involved in the 2002 ambush in Balbalan that resulted in the death of two Army officers and wounding of other government troopers.
The arrest was made possible through the combined efforts of the Provincial Investigation Unit of the Kalinga Provincial Police Office, Balbalan Municipal Police Station, Regional Intelligence Division, Regional Intelligence Unit 14, 2nd Kalinga Provincial Mobil Force Command, Tabuk City Police Station, Regional Mobil Force Battalion-15, and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Kalinga.
The 503rd Brigade, 5th Infantry Division, 501st Brigade of the Philippine Army, and other law enforcement agencies also collaborated in the operation. – Ofelia C. Empian
