Suspected communist rebel nabbed

AN ALLEGED member of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (NPA) in Misamis Oriental was arrested Wednesday afternoon.

The joint forces of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), Police Regional Office (PRO)-Northern Mindanao and the Army Intelligence Units in the region made the arrest.

Police Senior Superintendent Eliseo Tam Rasco, CIDG regional director, identified the alleged NPA member as Alexander Yamson, 41, alias “Ronron” and “Butch,” a resident of Zone 2, Barangay Agusan in Cagayan de Oro City.

Rasco told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro that Yamson’s arrest was made after they received a tip that he is in Barangay Agusan working in a bakeshop as baker.

Armed with an arrest warrant and in line with their Oplan Pagtugis, the joint forces swooped down to the area where Yamson stayed, resulting to his arrest.

Rasco said the warrant of arrest was issued by Regional Trial Court Judge Dan R. Calderon, presiding judge of Branch 26, Medina, Misamis Oriental dated February 29, 2012 with no bail bond recommended.

Based on the warrant of arrest, Yamson was charged for various crimes, including complex crime of direct assault with murder, double attempted murder and robbery with the use of unlicensed firearms.

“Identified siya na kasama sa pag-attack sa Medina Municipal Police Station. In fact, inamin niya,” Rasco said.

Yamson is now detained at the Misamis Oriental Provincial Jail.

On August 25, 2011, several members of the NPA stormed the police station of Medina town in Misamis Oriental, which later resulted to an encounter between NPAs and police operatives.

Senior Police Officer 4 Edwito Bayhon was killed in the incident while Senior Police Officer 1 Diosdado Sedion was wounded. A member of the NPA was also wounded in the encounter.