Suspected NPA falls

Operatives of the Central Police District (CPD) have arrested in Quezon City an alleged member of the New People’s Army (NPA) wanted for various serious crimes including murder, kidnapping, and robbery in Occidental Mindoro.

Senior Superintendent Oscar Mariñas, acting director of the CPD, identified the fugitive as Jessie Guilas, alias Ka Mejie, of Calintaan in Occidental Mindoro. He was arrested by elements of the CPD-Station 7 under the leadership of Superintendent Benigno Durana at around 8 p.m. last Thursday at a store along Saint Mary street near the corner of Columbia street in Barangay E. Rodriguez Sr. in Cubao.

According to Mariñas, the suspect has been charged at a Mindoro Occidental court with multiple counts of kidnapping, murder, robbery and other serious crimes. A total of six warrants of arrest have been issued against Guilas.

The suspect has been identified as a member of the NPA’s Platoon Gerilla (Plaguer) based in Occidental Mindoro under the Lucio de Guzman command.

Mariñas said that the suspect was involved in the ambush-slaying of nine members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro in April 2000; the killing of a government informer in Sta. Cruz also in Occidental Mindoro; and the kidnapping and murder of four men in Calintaan.

Wanted by the law since 2000, Guilas was involved in several robbery incidents in Quezon City.

Guilas has been turned over to the Region IV police command based in Camp Vicente Lim, Canlubang in Laguna for detention.