3 NPAs fall in Quezon town; attack foiled

CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna, Philippines  – The military believes it has foiled an attempt by communist guerrillas to attack a municipal police station with the arrest of a New People’s Army (NPA) leader and his two comrades in Mulanay, Quezon last Friday night, an Army official said yesterday.

Col. Alex Capina, commander of the 201st Infantry Brigade under the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division, identified those arrested as NPA leader Dennis Quidor, alias Ka Anghel and Jabar, Eliseo Lopez, and a 17-year-old boy.

Capina said the three rebels will be charged with illegal possession of firearms, as they yielded explosive devices, a grenade, .22-caliber and .45-caliber handguns, an Armalite rifle, a magazine and assorted bullets, as well as NPA documents and sketches of two possible targeted persons.

Capina said Quidor and his two companions were riding on two motorcycles when they were cornered by government forces along San Francisco Road in Mulanay town Friday night.

He said the rebels were conducting surveillance for planned attacks in Mulanay, San Francisco and San Narciso towns.