Four HVI and other suspects arrested
CAMP MAJOR BADO DANGWA, La Trinidad, Benguet – In a week-long anti-drug operations, 8 suspects, 4 of whom were identified as High Value Individuals (HVI) were captured.
Leading the list of HVIs is Allen Carlo Dela Cruz Visperas, 22, native of Pozorrubio, Pangasinan and a resident of SLU Bakakeng Old Site, Baguio City was arrested in Kadmangan, Poblacion, Tuba, Benguet on the afternoon of September 5, 2020. Another HVI Esmeralda Camos Bacani, 37, laborer and presently residing in Campo Filipino, Baguio City was caught at Bokawkan Road, Cresencia Village, Baguio City on the night of September 4. Visperas was caught with two plastic sachets containing suspected shabu, Php1,000.00 buy bust money, boodle money and one (1) cellphone; while confiscated from Bacani was one (1) plastic sachet of suspected shabu, buy bust money; and one (1) cellphone.
Prior to the above, on September 2, 2020, Mariza Basiagon Agnaya, 40, HVI, and a resident of Purok 1, Bulanao Tabuk City, Kalinga and her companion Canuel Palutan Ballong, 38, and a resident of Nambaran, Tabuk City, Kalinga were caught in Nambaran, Tabuk City, Kalinga, while another male HVI, Patrick Roger Catbagan y Tamayo and his companion Mary Jane Nunag, were arrested in Purok Magsaysay, Loakan Proper, Baguio City. Evidence recovered and confiscated from Agnaya and Ballong were three (3) small plastic sachets containing suspected shabu, while four (4) plastic sachets containing suspected shabu, one (1) digital weighing scale, Php5,000.00 buy bust money, boodle money and various drug paraphernalia were taken from Catbagan and Nunag.
Other drug personalities arrested were identified as Tyrell Bacayan Balang, aka, “Tayek”, 22, unemployed, native and resident of Betag, La Trinidad, Benguet was detained after he was apprehended at Betag, La Trinidad, Benguet on September 2 while Alfonso T Eugenio, 31, furniture owner, was held at Brgy. Bado Dangwa, Tabuk City, Kalinga on the afternoon of September 1. Confiscated and seized evidence from the custody of Balang were one (1) plastic sachet containing suspected shabu, Php1,000.00 buy bust money and a cellphone, while five (5) plastic sachets containing suspected shabu, Php 1,000.00 buy bust money and one (1) Samsung cellphone were seized from Eugenio.
“We will continually boost our anti-drugs campaign, we will track down and arrest all those involved in the drugs trade. We appeal to the community for their utmost cooperation by immediately reporting to the nearest police station any person or activity involving the use of drugs,” PBGen R’WIN SA PAGKALINAWAN said.
Three NPAs surrender with firearms
CAMP BADO DANGWA, LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Three former members of the New Peoples Army surrendered to the government to live peacefully and start anew.
The surrenderers known by their aliases as Ka “Jimmy”, Ka “Alice” and Ka “Benjie” were presented to the media after the virtual flag-raising ceremony. They shared their stories to give a lesson to the youth.
They surrendered two firearms- 2 M1 US Caliber 30 carbine rifles.
BGen. R’Win Pagkalinawan, Police Regional Office-Cordillera (PROCOR) Regional Director said they will be processed under the enhanced comprehensive local re-integration program of the government so that they can avail of the benefits provided by the government.
Once processed, they will receive remuneration for the firearms they surrendered and will be entitled to cash assistance, livelihood assistance and even housing as well as educational assistance.
“The government can help them regain their lost future by starting over without………………… fighting the government for a lost cause. Following their surrender is a chance to live a peaceful life and improvement of themselves for their future,” BGen. Pagkalinawan said.
“Ka Jimmy” was recruited and indoctrinated at the age of 12 in 2012 by the Communist Front and serve the Kilusang Larangang Gerilya (KLG)-Baggas. He was trained on explosives and underwent a NPA Advance Training Course and later exposed to various battles where he saw several of his colleagues die and also those on the government side.
“Ka Alice,” a female rebel returnee , was then 20 when she was enticed to join the Mountain Province Youth Alliance in 2018. Later, she was indoctrinated to join the NPA as Assistant Medic and Logistics Officer. She dreamed of becoming a police officer, however, that dream went down the drain when she joined the NPA-KLG (Kilusang Larangang Gerilya) Ampis that operated in Mountain Province, Ilocos Sur and Abra. She had one of the carbines surrendered.
“Ka Benjie” was recruited by the Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA), a front organization operating in urban areas, to join the NPA when he was in High School in 2007. He narrated that when he dropped out of school, he attended a “Cordillera Day” celebration in Tucucan, Mountain Province where he met people from the CPA who enticed him to join them and acquire a free education. He added that as a political instructor of KLG MARCO operating in Mtn. Province and Kalinga, particularly in Sagada, Bontoc and Tinglayan, his function was to entice young people in far-flung communities who were not attending school to join the NPA to get free education. However, he learned about the programs of the government to help people like him to return to the fold of the law, this made him realize that he still had hope of having a bright future so he surrendered.
“When the police explained to me the program of the government, it was then that I realized that I have a family who cares for me, who I care for and want to be with, and have a peaceful life,” Ka Benjie said in ilocano.**
