A NEW People’s Army (NPA) finance officer was arrested by soldiers and policemen in Baras, Rizal last Thursday, the military reported last Sunday night.
Antonio Pule, alias Dads, head of the finance staff of the Executive Committee of the Sub-Regional Military Area 4-A of the NPA’s Tagalog Regional Party Committee, was nabbed by forces of the Army’s 80th Infantry Battalion, 1st Infantry Battalion, Rizal Provincial Police Office and Baras police station, according to the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division (ID).
Lt. Col. Hector Estolas, 2nd ID spokesman, said Pule was arrested on the strength of warrants for murder and attempted murder issued by Quezon Judge Marylou Meneses.
“We are consistently working with our security sector partners in upholding the rule of the law,” said 2nd ID commander Maj. Gen. Roberto Capulong.
Capulong said he is “grateful for the efforts and cooperation of our kababayans (countrymen)” who he said helped in the arrest of Pule.
“Relative thereto, we (military) are urging those who are still in arms to return to the folds of the law so as not to suffer the same fate as these rebels,” he added.
In December 2020, Pule evaded government troops who were out to arrest him in Barangay San Juan in Baras. The operation led to a shootout that resulted in the death of five rebels and seizure of five firearms and rebel documents.
