AUTHORITIES arrested in a law enforcement operation in Cagayan de Oro City a top ranking leader of the New People's Army (NPA) who had long been wanted for multiple criminal offenses, military officials said Friday, June 6, 2025.
Brigadier General Michael Santos, 603rd Infantry Brigade commander, identified the arrested top ranking NPA leader as Edward Flores, also known by several aliases including Cess, Ruby, Rafa, and Ramon.
Santos said Flores was arrested by joint military and police operatives in a law enforcement operation by way of implementation of arrest warrants around 3 p.m. Thursday, June 5, in Habitat Phase 2, Indahag village, Cagayan de Oro City.
Recovered from the possession of Flores were a caliber .45 pistol, a fragmentation grenade, and a smartphone believed to contain sensitive communication data.
Santos said the group of Flores, once a powerful figure, has significantly weakened due to sustained military operations that neutralized majority of its leaders and members.
"The arrest of Edward Flores marks another critical blow to the already crumbling structure of the communist insurgency within the area of responsibility of the 603rd Infantry Brigade," Santos said.
"In fact, we have already filed multiple cases against him for acts of terrorism and for recruiting vulnerable youth into armed rebellion. His capture is a major setback to their ranks and operations," Santos added.
He said Flores is facing multiple criminal charges, including murder in a court in Tagum City, Davao del Norte; multiple attempted homicide in a court in Surallah, South Cotabato; murder in a court in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat; and violation of Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 also in a court in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat.
He said Flores, according to reports, served as the secretary of the NPA's Far South Mindanao Region (FSMR), which operates across the area of jurisdiction of the 6th Infantry Division (6ID).
Flores is also known to have previously held positions such as Regional Urban Committee secretary, secretary of Dismantled Guerilla Front TALA, and spokesperson of FSMR, all of which align with the broader strategy of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) to destabilize government efforts and local peace initiatives.
Major General Donald Gumiran, 6ID and Joint Task Force (JTF)-Central, emphasized the continued progress in dismantling NPA operations, not only by neutralizing remnants but also by arresting high-value targets such as Flores, the FSMR secretary.
"As the Communist Terrorist Group (military version in identifying the NPA) continues to lose key leaders and more members, we will continue our pursuit until they are defeated," Gumiran said.
"With the support of our civilian population and partner stakeholders under the Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, we will not rest until this decades-long problem is resolved," Gumiran added. (SunStar Zamboanga)