Communist rebel arrested in Philippines

Communist rebel arrested in Philippines

2011-01-06 01:38:33 GMT+7 (ICT)

LUCENA, PHILIPPINES (BNO NEWS) -- The alleged leader of a communist rebel organization on late Tuesday was arrested in the Quezon province in Philippines, the Daily Inquirer newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Tirso Alcantara was captured by state security forces under the suspicion of being the leader of the communist New People's Army (NPA) in Southern Tagalog. He was detained in Lucena city and sustained a bullet injury.

The alleged NPA leader was flown to Manila in order to receive medical treatment after he was shot while resisting arrest. Alcantara, also known as "Ka Bart," was detained along Apolonio Cuarto, alias "Ka Polly," at about 8:30 p.m. local time.

Authorities informed on Tuesday that the detention stemmed from 23 warrants of arrest from different courts issued against him. Cuarto was brought to the provincial police office for further questioning.

"Tirso Alcantara resisted arrest and attempted to draw his pistol," said Senior Superintendent Erickson Velasquez, Quezon police chief. "That resulted in commotion and the wounding of his buttocks."

Alcantara is accused of eight counts of murder, double murder and frustrated homicide, multiple frustrated murders, two cases of robbery in group, and kidnapping with serious illegal detention.

In addition, police and military forces recovered a caliber 45 with two magazines loaded with ammunition, two hand grenades, nine blasting caps and approximately five meters of detonating cord.

The NPA leader once served as spokesman of the NPA's Melito Glor Command operating in Southern Tagalog but has since returned to his post as chief military tactician of the communist guerrillas.

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