NPA commander wounded, captured

MANILA, Philippines - A ranking leader of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) and his companion were arrested in a joint operation by the police and military in Lucena, Quezon last Tuesday.

Officials said Tirso Alcantara, alias Ka Bart, commander of the regional operational command of the NPA’s Southern Tagalog Regional Party Committee, was wounded in the buttocks during a scuffle for a gun while being arrested.

Quezon police provincial director Senior Superintendent Ericson Velasquez said the lawmen also arrested Apolonio Cuarto.

Velasquez said Alcantara and Cuarto were arrested on the strength of 23 arrest warrants, mostly for murder.

The arrests came barely a day after the 19-day holiday ceasefire between the government and the communist rebels lapsed last Monday.

Combined forces of the Quezon provincial police and the Army’s 1st Special Forces Battalion arrested the two suspects at a checkpoint in Barangay Ibabang Iyam in Lucena City late Tuesday.

Alcantara and Cuarto were reportedly riding tandem on a motorcycle when they were accosted by lawmen.

Velasquez said Alcantara tried to reach for a pistol tucked behind his back, triggering a scuffle with the lawmen.

The lawmen seized from Alcantara and Cuarto a .45 caliber pistol with nine pieces of blasting caps and at least five meters of detonating cord.

Velasquez said the two suspects were conducting surveillance operation for their targets following the pronouncements of the NPA that they would stage attacks prior to the resumption of stalled peace talks with the government.

“They seem to be making rounds of the province looking for targets for their attacks. We are just lucky to get them before they could launch their attacks,” Velasquez said.

Army chief Lt. Gen. Arturo Ortiz said Alcantara had just visited his girlfriend in the area when he was captured.

“He just visited his paramour and he resisted arrest and attempted to draw his pistol that resulted in a commotion, forcing one of our troops to fire and hit him in the buttocks,” Ortiz said.

Alcantara is the most senior NPA commander in the Southern Tagalog region.

Alcantara took over from Gregorio “Ka Roger” Rosal in leading the NPA’s Melito Glor Command, the rebel fighting force in the Quezon-Rizal-Laguna-Batangas area. Rosal, on the other hand, was promoted as the NPA’s national spokesman.

Alcantara carries a P2.6-million bounty and is wanted for the murder of former comrade NPA chief Romulo Kintanar in 2003.

As this developed, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) demanded the immediate release of Alcantara, asserting that the rebel leader is covered by the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) with the government.

In a statement, the CPP said the government should free Alcantara before the resumption of peace talks, tentatively set in Oslo, Norway on Feb. 19-25.

The CPP said Alcantara is among the consultants of the National Democratic Front (NDF), which is negotiating peace with the government, representing the CPP-NPA.

Under the JASIG, staff, members, and consultants of the NDF who are part of the negotiating panel enjoy immunity from arrest.

“The revolutionary movement demands respect for the rights and humane treatment of Ka Bart,” the CPP said.

“We demand that his lawyers and doctors be given immediate access to Ka Bart in order to assist him in his legal and health care needs.”

CPP is hopeful that the talks would not be hampered by the arrest of Alcantara, who was expected to undergo surgery yesterday at the Armed Forces Medical Center in Quezon City for a wound in the buttocks.

“We hope the upcoming resumption of formal peace negotiations will not be stalled by the further holding in custody of Ka Bart, who is covered by the JASIG,” CPP said.

Security officials said they would allow the courts to decide on whether Alcantara should be released.

“We have to refer it to the courts. It’s beyond what we can decide. The courts have jurisdiction over him (Alcantara) since warrants of arrest have been issued. This should be decided by the courts,” Calabarzon regional police director Chief Superintendent Samuel Pagdilao Jr. said.

Pagdilao gave assurance that Alcantara would be given adequate medical attention.

“Ka Bart is being treated by the best medical facility of the Armed Forces. Obviously this measure is to put up confidence building for the peace process,” he said.

AFP Medical Center commander Col. Joselito Avanceña said the injury on Alcantara’s left buttock does not seem to be serious.

Pagdilao also expressed confidence that the arrest of Alcantara would not scuttle the upcoming peace process.

Armed Forces Southern Luzon Command chief Lt. Gen. Roland Detabali also gave assurance that Alcantara’s rights would be respected.

He said they would continue to support the upcoming peace talks with the communists. – With Alexis Romero, Jaime Laude, Michelle Zoleta, Juancho Mahusay