Firearms, IED seized from NPA leader in North Cotabato

There is a strong presence of the New People’s Army in Makilala, a hinterland town in North Cotabato.

Authorities arrested before dawn Thursday in Makilala town a leader of a self-styled communist militia and recovered from him an improvised explosive device and three assault rifles.

Ariel Rebuta, now in the custody of the Makilala municipal police, shall be prosecuted for violation of Republic Act 10591, which prohibits possession of unlicensed firearm and for keeping an IED.

Rebuta yielded voluntarily when combined personnel of the Makilala municipal police and the Army’s 39th Infantry Battalion raided his hideout in Barangay Biangan in Makilala at past 1:00 a.m. Thursday.

There is a strong presence of the New People’s Army in Makilala, a hinterland town in North Cotabato, not too distant from Kidapawan City, the capital of the province.

The operation that resulted in his arrest, assisted by the police’s elite Special Action Force, was based on tips from residents in Barangay Biangan, who confirmed his links with the NPA.

Lt. Col. Harold Argamosa, commanding officer of the 39th IB, said that Rebuta is a leader of the NPA’s clandestine community militia that provides tactical support to regular guerillas during encounters with government forces.

“These local NPA militia forces are good in initiating diversions when their comrades face difficult situations during engagements. That explains why he was keeping an IED,” Argamosa said.

Besides the IED, the joint police-Army raiding team also found three M-16 assault rifles in Rebuta’s lair.

Barangay residents have urged the police to investigate on Rebuta’s possible involvement in the July 19 ambush of a convoy of the Presidential Security Group in Barangay Katipunan in Arakan town, also in North Cotabato.

Five presidential guards were hurt in the attack.

The victims were on their way to Bukidnon from Davao City when they ran through a checkpoint set-up by NPAs disguised as soldiers.

The rebels shot their vehicles with assault rifles and machine guns, provoking a gunfight that left five PSG members wounded.