A bomb expert of the New People’s Army, along with another rebel companion with an identification card purportedly issued by the left-leaning party-list Anak Pawis of incumbent Department of Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano, was captured by authorities Wednesday in Quezon town in Bukidnon, the military said Thursday.
Colonel Eric Vinoya, commander of the 403rd Infantry Brigade, identified the bomber as Ruel Cololot and his companion as Ramil Cololot.
The military did not say if the two were brothers or relatives.
The five-minute firefight happened early morning in the outskirts of Purok 8 in Barangay Kiburiao.
Some of the rebels escaped but the Cololots were cornered and captured.
Vinoya said the soldiers confiscated from the Cololots a 57 RR , 24 pieces of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), 2 caliber .38 revolvers, 10 meters safety fuse, 200 meters detonating cords, 5 blasting caps, switch boxes, 3 laptops, 51 rounds of cal. 30 ammunitions, other IED paraphernalia, and subversive documents.
“Our troops responded to verified intelligence reports about the presence of NPA rebels in the place,” Vinoya said.
He said the rebels were allegedly planning “to launch atrocities” but the arrest were able to foil their plans.
When searched, Ruel was found in possession of an Anak Pawis ID with Mariano’s signature. But other details of the ID were handwritten.
Vinoya said the Cololots are members of the NPA.
“The arrested NPAs are now in the custody of the PNP for proper facilitation of case,” Vinoya said.
A notice of termination of the peace talks was reportedly up for signing by President Rodrgio Duterte upon the recommendation of the government negotiating panel.
Duterte and Communist Party of the Philippines founder Joma Sison engaged in a “word war” after a series of NPA ambushes killed a number of soldiers and cops even as back-channel efforts were being done to save the peace talks.
But the NPA has threatened more attacks and Duterte promised to save more money in two years to modernize the Armed Forces to fight and defeat “the enemies of the state.”
Upon his assumption to power last year, Duterte offered the communists to come back to the negotiating table and despite some ups and downs during the several rounds of talks the negotiating panels were able to affirm old agreements and signed new documents as part of confidence building measures for a possible signing of a peace pact.
If Duterte officially terminates the peace talks, defense and military think-tanks say the President might declare an “all-out war” against the NPA.