Suspected ranking NPA officers, 3 others nabbed in Laguna — military

Two alleged ranking officials of the New People's Army (NPA), one of them identified by the Army as Southern Tagalog's "top terrorist," were apprehended in Sta. Cruz, Laguna on Monday afternoon.

A statement from the Army's 2nd Infantry Division (2ID) said a joint military and police operation in Barangay Pagsawitan resulted in the arrest of Edicel Legaspi alias Joventud del Fierro, tagged by authorities as Secretary of the Southern Tagalog Regional Party Committee, the highest NPA organ in Region 4A and 4B.

Also arrested was Edilberto Silva, allegedly head of the NPA National Organizing Department. Silva is also reportedly a consultant of the National Democratic Front.

Citing information from Brigadier General Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr., commander of the 202nd Infantry (UNIFIER) Brigade, Legaspi and four of his companions were apprehended around 1:30 p.m. while enroute to Pagsanjan on board their vehicle.   

Lagaspi and Silva's companions were only as Oyong, Wena and Batu.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Manio, commander of the 1st Infantry Battalion, the apprehended personalities have been turned-over to the custody of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) National Capital Region (NCR), who will be filing appropriate legal charges.

Two caliber .45 pistols, four hand, grenades, one claymore type IED, magazines, ammunition and documents were recovered in the search reportedly witnessed by local officials of Barangay Pagsawitan.

Major General Rhoderick Parayno, 2nd ID commander, said the arrest resulted in a "leadership vacuum" on the part of the terrorists which, he said, will speed up the process of insurgency in the Southern Tagalog. — Margaret Claire Layug/RSJ, GMA News