LAWMEN have arrested a ranking leader of the New People’s Army (NPA) in an intelligence-driven law enforcement operation in the province of Zamboanga del Sur, the police reported Wednesday, September 23.
Police Brigadier General Jesus Cambay, Jr., Police Regional Office-Zamboanga Peninsula director, identified the arrested ranking NPA leader as Rowel Escabarte Monasque alias Ka Jotham, a resident of Purok Sentro in San Manuel village, Lala, Lanao Del Norte.
Cambay said Monasque was arrested by joint police and military team in a law enforcement operation by way of service of warrants of arrest around 11 p.m. Tuesday at the Zamboanga Del Sur Medical Center in Dao village, Pagadian City.
Cambay said that Monasque has three standing warrants of arrest.
One of the warrants is for the crime of multiple frustrated homicide with P200,000 recommended bail issued by the court in Pagadian City; second warrant is for the crime of murder with no recommended bail also issued by the Pagadian City court; and third warrant is for the crime of murder with no recommended bail issued by the court of Sindagan, Zamboanga Del Norte.
The military said Monasque is the leader of the NPA’s Main Regional Guerrilla Unit of the Western Mindanao Regional Party Committee operating in the region.
Cambay said Monasque remained confined at Zamboanga Del Sur Medical Center due to gunshot wounds sustained during the encounter with the 53rd Infantry Battalion troops on Monday, September 21, in Marangan village, Dumingag, Zamboanga Del Sur. (SunStar Zamboanga)