Tipsters in arrest of 2 Zambo NPA leaders get reward

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – The military on Saturday rewarded two men who provided information that led to the arrest of top New People’s Army leaders in Mindanao. Lt. Gen. Nelson Allaga, chief of the armed forces’ Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), gave each of the informants P500,000 in a brief ceremony at regional headquarters. Allaga said the two informants provided information that led to the capture of Antonio Andong, alias Brix, the vice commander of the NPA’s Western Mindanao Regional Party Committee (WMRPC), and Gideon Galleposo, alias Rexon, the medical head of the Front Committee Kara. According to the Westmincom, Andong was captured troops by the Army’s 1st Infantry Division backed by personnel from the 4th Infantry Division on August 17, 2007 in Bulua village, Cagayan del Oro City. Galleposo was arrested by operatives of the 1st Infantry Division on December 28, 2007 in San Jose village, Imelda, Zamboanga Sibugay province. “We are gaining grounds in our fight against the CPP-NPA (Communist Party of the Philippines-News People’s Army)," Allaga said in an interview after turning over the cash reward to the informants. “We have reduced their strength drastically," he added. Maj. Gen. Nehemias Pajarito, chief of the Army’s 1st Infantry Division, disclosed in a separate interview on Saturday that the NPA used to maintain three front committees — Kara, Sendong and Joji. He said Front Committees Joji and Sendong have been downgraded as a result and are targeted by the military to be completely neutralized “by this quarter of the year." The NPA’s WMRPC operates in the provinces of Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga Sibugay that fall within Pajarito’s the area of operations. - GMANews.TV