Alleged CPP-NPA leader, staff member arrested in Cavite –military

The Philippine Army’s 5th Infantry Division (5ID) said a suspected leader and a staff member of a communist rebel group had been arrested in Dasmariñas City, Cavite on Tuesday.

In a statement, the military said Evangeline Rapanut or “Chat/Ines” was arrested based on the murder and frustrated murder warrants issued against her.

The military claimed Rapanut was a Central Committee member of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and was a former Secretary of Komiteng Rehiyon-Cagayan Valley (KR-CV).

She also supposedly served as the 2nd Deputy Secretary for Organization and Deputy Secretary, National Education Department (NED) of the CPP-New People's Army-National Democratic Front.

According to the military, she has been in the underground movement since the 1970s until she became a full-time NPA member in the mid-1970s.

Aside from Rapanut, the military and police personnel also arrested Randy Belen Tamayo, or "Deng", who was allegedly a communications staff of the communist group’s NED.

The military said the following items were also seized during the operation:

• an M16 assault rifle
• a magazine with 18 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition
• a 9mm Armscor pistol
• a magazine with 6 rounds of 9mm ammunition
• a hand grenade,
• four detonating cords,
• a blasting cap
• a USB flash drive with 8Gb memory
• several cellular phones and electronic devices

— DVM, GMA News