Police led by the Criminal Investigation Detection Group arrested a suspected Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army rebel in Barangay Nagbalaye, Sta. Catalina town in Negros Oriental over the weekend.
Lt. Col. Ruben Verbo Jr., head of the Police Community Affairs & Development Unit and public information officer of the Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office, on Monday identified the suspect as Fedelino Villahermosa Arañez, 74, married, resident of sitio Payawpayawan, barangay Nagbinlod of the same town.
The rebel was arrested on Saturday at his temporary residence in Sitio Nalbog in barangay Nagbalaye, by virtue of an arrest warrant in relation to cases of illegal possession of firearms and explosives under Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act and RA 9516 or the Illegal/Unlawful Possession, Manufacture, Dealing in, Acquisition or Disposition of Firearms, Ammunition or Explosives, respectively.
Colonel Verbo said Arañez is the No. 10 Most Wanted Personality at the municipal level, and is allegedly a member of the NPA’s South East Front-Komiteng Rehiyon Negros, Cebu, Bohol, and Siquijor.
Arañez is also one of the subject personalities during the simultaneous implementation of five search warrants in Sitio Payawpayawan on March 29, 2021, but he was not there at the time.
The suspect is now temporarily detained at the Sta. Catalina Police Station.
A bail bond of P100,000 has been set for the charge under RA 10591 but no bail has been set for the RA 9516 case.
The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the US, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines. (Judy F. Partlow/PNA)
