Top NPA commander arrested

CATBALOGAN CITY , Philippines   â€” A top officer of the CPP-NPA-NDF under the Samar Provincial Party Committee was arrested by a composite team of soldiers and policemen Wednesday evening in a rebel safe house in the interior town of San Sebastian, some 45 kilometers south of Catbalogan.

The suspect was identified as Renato Abadiano aka Ka Tiboy who, authorities said, is holding various positions in the underground movement, and was reportedly in the area allegedly waiting for remittances derived from "permit to campaign and permit to win" fees purportedly being imposed by the rebel group on local candidates.

Information reaching The Freeman revealed that Abadiano was arrested based on two standing warrants for murder and attempted murder issued by two separate courts in this province.

The suspect's arrest yielded a caliber .45 pistol, improvised explosive devices, blasting caps, subversive documents, some personal belongings and campaign paraphernalia of left leaning political organizations.

In a statement issued by Capt. Amado C. Gutierez, public affairs officer of the 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army here, aside from the alleged collection of political fees, Abadiano's group are also allegedly responsible for last month's shooting of some heavy equipment of a construction company in the nearby town of Paranas.

"That was in April 25, when the company owner refused to give in from their taxation demand, pinagbabaril nila yung mga gulong and the fuel tanks of the contractor's equipments," Gutierrez said.

He added that the arrest of Abadiano was made possible by a tip provided by residents in the area and was the third attempt for rebels to extort money from politicians in Samar, which the Army foiled.

The Freeman learned that only last week, a suspected NPA squad - allegedly en route to collect their so-called election fees -  figured in an apparent  encounter with military troops at the vicinity of Albalate, an upland village in this city, which resulted to the death of two suspected members of the rebel group.

According to Gutierrez, the recovered bodies were turned over to the city government for identification but after two days with no one claiming the cadavers, the LGU decided to bury the bodies.

"Our campaign against the rebels is gaining ground, it seems the people themselves even those who used to support or cuddle them in upland and remote villages are now very cooperative in terms of providing information that will lead to the arrest of these terrorists, and these are good signs that sooner Samar will achieve its long-desired peace and development" Gutierrez aded. /JMO (FREEMAN)