Top Cagayan Valley NPA leader arrested in Cavite

By Villamor Visaya Jr.

GAMU, Isabela–-The alleged communist guerrilla leader in Cagayan Valley region, who is facing various criminal charges in Cagayan province, was arrested May 31, the military said.
    Army Capt. Rigor Pamittan, 5th Infantry Battalion spokesperson, identified the rebel as Evangeline Rapanut, alias Ka Chat/Ines.
    She was arrested by police and military personnel at Barangay Paliparan 1, Dasmariñas City in Cavite province.
Pamittan said Rapanut served as the secretary of the New People’s Army’s (NPA) Komiteng Rehiyon-Cagayan Valley (KR-CV) and is a member of the Communist Party of the Philippines Central Committee.
    She is also the second deputy secretary for the organization and the deputy secretary for the National Education Department of the National Democratic Front (NDF).
    Rapanut had been in the underground movement since the 1970s until she became a full-time NPA member in the mid-70s, Pamittan added.
    She is facing various cases in Cagayan, including two counts of murder, frustrated murder, robbery, and illegal possession of firearms and explosives.
    Also arrested was Randy Tamayo, alias Ka Deng, communication staff of the National Education Department of the NDF.
Seized from them were a Bushmaster assault rifle, an M-16 magazine with 18 rounds of bullets, a 9mm-caliber pistol, a 9mm magazine with six bullet rounds, a hand grenade, four detonating cords, a blasting cap, a USB flash drive, and assorted mobile phones and electronic devices.
    Rapanut was served with warrants of arrest for the crimes of murder and frustrated murder she and her cohorts committed in Cagayan Valley Region.
    The Philippine Army claimed that Rapanut was the former Secretary of Komiteng Rehiyon-Cagayan Valley and a current CPP Central Committee member; 2nd Deputy Secretary for Organization and Deputy Secretary, National Education Department of the CPP-NPA-NDF.
    Rapanut has been in the underground movement since the 1970s until she became a full-time NPA member in the mid-1970s.
    Randy Belen Tamayo, alias Deng, communication staff of the National Education Department of the CPP-NPA-NDF, was also arrested during the conduct of the said law enforcement operation.
    Rapanut is believed to be responsible for mass orientations to radicalize especially the youth, students and vulnerable sectors such as indigenous people, trade unions, urban poor and farmers purposely to recruit additional political and military cadres in support of the recovery of Komiteng Probinsya Batangas under Southern Tagalog Regional Party Committee and expansion into parts of Cavite and Central Quezon as the center of manufacturing and industrial establishments in Southern Tagalog.