THE new finance head of the New People’s Army’s Komisyon Mindanao (Kommid) was arrested in an inter-agency law enforcement operation in Butuan City, the military reported Friday, June 1.

Brigadier General Franco Nemesio Gacal, Army’s 402nd Infantry Brigade commander, identified the arrested NPA finance officer as Nerita De Castro, 55, who carries the aliases of Ka Nene, Ka Nening and Ka Nora.

Gacal said De Castro was nabbed around 12:40 a.m. Thursday, May 31, at Emenville Subdivision in the village of Ambago, Butuan City.

De Castro has replaced Leonida Guao, who carries the aliases of Ka Leah, Ka Ligaya and Ka Laya, who was arrested on February 2, 2018 in the village of Bading also in Butuan City, added Gacal.

He said De Castro, like Guao, was also in-charge of the extortion activities of the NPA in Mindanao.

“After the arrest of Guao, Kommid had designated De Castro to be in-charge of all the extortion activities in Mindanao,” he said.

He said De Castro, a resident of Purok Malinao, Poblacion, Surigao City, is also the acting secretary of Regional White Area Committee of the North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee.

The suspect has a standing warrant of arrest for murder.

Lieutenant General Benjamin Madrigal Jr., Eastern Mindanao Command chief, said the arrest is a big blow to the NPA and it will give relief to small business establishments that fell victim to the rebel group's extortion activities. (Bong Garcia/SunStar Philippines)