Top NPA leader with P5M bounty nabbed in ComVal

Government security forces on Wednesday arrested in Compostela Valley a top communist leader who is among the country's most wanted persons, a military official said Thursday.

Eddie Genelsa alias Lando was nabbed by joint police and military personnel in Brgy. Bongabong in Pantukan town by virtue of arrest warrants issued by the Regional Trial Court Branch 3 in Nabunturan for arson, murder, frustrated murder and robbery.

According to Capt. Rhyan Batchar of the Army's 10th Infantry Division, Genelsa is the command officer of the Pulang Bugani Company (PBC) 3 of the New People's Army's Southern Mindanao Regional Committee.

Batchar said PBC was responsible for the murder of several civilians and soldiers, destruction of properties, and extortion rackets victimizing civilians and business establishments in Compostela Valley.

Genelsa has an existing reward money of P5 million for any information that could lead to his capture.

The same reward was offered for the capture of Leoncio Pitao alias Parago of PBC 1 who was killed in an encounter with government troops in 2015.

Col. Marairog Alberto, commander of the 1001st Infantry Brigade, encouraged other NPA rebels to return to the folds of the law, live peacefully, and become productive members of the community.

Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Rafael Valencia of the 10th Infantry Brigade lauded the Army and police personnel for their accomplishment and continue to enforce its mandate in support of the peace initiative of the Duterte administration. —Joseph Tristan Roxas/KBK, GMA News