AUTHORITIES on Tuesday, November 16, 2021, arrested six alleged members of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) during an operation in Quezon City and Bulacan.
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Lieutenant General Dionardo Carlos said Gil Peralta was arrested in his rented apartment in Barangay Maribolo in Quezon City, while Irene Agcaoili, Lourdes Bulan, Roy Dela Cruz, Arcadio Tangonan and Natividad Santos were arrested in Barangay San Vicente in Sta. Maria, Bulacan.
They were all members of the Komiteng Rehiyon–Cagayan Valley (KR-CV)
Carlos said Peralta is a regular member of the CPP Central Committee and was among the convenors of the CPP 2nd Congress.
“Peralta is identified in police records as secretary of Komiteng Rehiyon–Cagayan Valley, who holds the position of executive committee, 1st deputy secretary, finance officer, head of regional organizational department (ROD) and Communication Department of KR-CV,” said Carlos.
“He has existing warrants of arrest for Arson and Frustrated Murder and is wanted for his terroristic activities,” he added.
The top cop said Peralta was also involved in several terroristic activities in Cagayan Valley region such as the burning of DDT Construction equipment in the town of Lal-lo, Cagayan in October 2020 and the attack in a Cafgu Active Auxiliary (CAA) detachment in Sto. Niño, Cagayan on July 2019.
The suspect was also involved in the killing of former Lasam, Cagayan councilor Marjorie April Salazar and others identified as Eduardo Asuten, John Rey Cortes and Aiza Salvador Manuel.
Former members of KR-CV also claimed that Peralta was involved in corruption activities, particularly in using the funds that the terrorist organization generated from its extortion operations for personal gains.
Agcaoili was identified as the head finance of KR-CV and has a standing arrest warrant for murder, multiple attempted murder and robbery with a bounty on her head amounting to P700,000.
Bulang was an executive committee member of KR-CV who was wanted for murder and multiple attempted murder while Dela Cruz was an intel officer of the same committee.
Carlos said during the service of warrants, Agcaoili and Santos tried to resist arrest by trying to shoot the police and pulling out a hand grenade, respectively, but they were subdued.
Recovered during the said operations were various pistols, three hand grenades, improvised explosive devices, ammunition and magazines and cash over P600,000.
“These personalities were also identified by their members to be part of the Manila Support Group (MSG), who are engaged in facilitating and initiating extortion activities of the KR-CV here in Manila,” Carlos said.
“The apprehension of Peralta and his five staff will significantly affect the leadership and organization of the CPP-NPA (New People’s Army), especially in Cagayan Valley region. Likewise, it will give justice to the victims of the NPA in Cagayan Valley region,” he added.
Carlos commended the Criminal Investigation Group headed by Major General Albert Ferro and other involved police units for the successful operation.
He ordered Ferro to initiate further investigation on the criminal activities of the arrested suspects “to bring justice to their victims.”