By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD CITY – The arrest of a suspected high-ranking New People’s Army (NPA) leader on Saturday in Barangay Bandila, Toboso, Negros Occidental, is expected to cripple the operations of the Northern Negros Front (NNF) under the leadership of Roger Fabillar, also known as “Arnel Tapang” and “Jhong.”
Capt. Dan Carlo Samoza, the civil military operations (CMO) officer of the Army’s 79th Infantry Battalion (IB), said the suspect, alias “Pinky,” 58, was arrested by police and military forces at her house on December 14, 2024.
The arrest followed a clash between the 79th IB and the remnants of the dismantled NNF, believed to be led by Fabillar, in the same village on December 13.
Samoza said that Pinky was served a warrant of arrest for murder and is alleged to be a cohort of Fabillar based on information provided by local residents.
She is reportedly a key leader in the Regional Headquarters of the Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros/Cebu/Bohol/Siquijor (KR-NCBS).
Government forces tracked Pinky’s location from a tip-off during pursuit operations connected to Friday’s encounter.
Samoza said Pinky was allegedly tasked with hiding NNF remnants during armed clashes with military forces.
Authorities are verifying if Pinky has other pending arrest warrants, Samoza said, describing her as a “high-profile officer.”
“This is a major blow to the mobility of NNF remnants since one of their key leaders has been arrested,” Samoza added.
He emphasized that one of the challenges faced by the military is how NNF remnants operate within communities, using civilians as human shields to evade engagements.
“It’s a long and tedious process to divert the enemies to designated engagement areas so that civilians remain unharmed,” he said, underscoring the Army’s strict adherence to rules of engagement.
Samoza added that the PHP1-million bounty on Fabillar remains, as he is wanted for his alleged involvement in multiple killings in the area.
On Friday, the 79th IB also overran an alleged NPA hideout in Barangay Bandila during a focused military operation.
The military recovered firearms, ammunition, and war materiel believed to have been used by seven NNF remnants.
Recovered items included an assault rifle, a 5.56mm M16, a .38 caliber revolver, an AK-47 short magazine, two .45 caliber magazines, assorted live ammunition, two bags, medical paraphernalia, personal belongings, food supplies, medicines, and subversive documents.
No casualties were reported on the government side.
Lt. Col. Arnel Calaoagan, commander of the 79th IB, said the encounter demonstrated the Army’s continued efforts to hunt down NPA members and bring justice to victims of their alleged atrocities.
“This operation is a clear manifestation of our relentless pursuit to dismantle these groups and bring peace to terrorized communities,” Calaoagan said.
Meanwhile, the Roselyn Jean Pelle Command (RJPC)-NPA denied the encounter in Toboso, claiming no rebels were present in the area.
