Alleged ranking CPP-NPA leader nabbed in San Juan

FILE: NPA LEADER NABBED. NCRPO chief, Brig. Gen. Debold Sinas announces the arrest of ranking communist leader Jaime Padilla in a press briefing held at Quezon City Police District Station 10 Tuesday (Nov. 26, 2019). Padilla, spokesperson of the NPA Southern Tagalog and a member of the CPP’s National Information Bureau, has a standing warrant of arrest for multiple murder and kidnapping. (Photo courtesy of NCRPO via PNA)

MANILA — Authorities arrested a ranking official of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) inside a hospital in San Juan City, the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) on Tuesday said.

Brig. Gen. Debold Sinas, NCRPO chief, identified the suspect as Jaime Padilla, spokesperson of the NPA Southern Tagalog and a member of the CPP’s National Information Bureau, who has a standing warrant of arrest for multiple murder and kidnapping.

Sinas said Padilla was arrested by joint operatives from the Eastern Police District and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-National Capital Region after receiving information about his location in one of the private rooms in Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City around 7:30 p.m. Monday.

“Ang sakit niya ay (He has) hypertension complicated, he is around 60 (years) of age, four counts of murder. (Our spotter) identified that he is Jaime Padilla,” Sinas told reporters during the press briefing held at Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Station 10.

“Nagpaalam (kami) sa doctor kung pwede na siyang kunin (We asked the permission of the doctor if they can arrest and bring him to police station). Actually, according to the investigators, he was preparing to leave kaya nga minadali ang pagpunta ng operatives (that is why the operatives rushed to get him),” Sinas said.

Aside from Padilla, operatives also arrested three persons identified as Rey Rafa, 30; Jefren Banjawan, 26; and Kay Ann Trogon, 27, all residents of Laguna.

The three were said to be looking after Padilla.

“‘Yung tatlo na ‘yan (The three persons) will be charged for harboring wanted persons and we will check if they have existing warrant of arrest. We are also checking (their affiliations),” he said.

Padilla and his three cohorts were already brought to the CIDG-NCR office in Camp Crame.

The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.