A alleged ranking New People’s Army (NPA) official was arrested in joint military and police operation in Butuan City on Friday, the military said Saturday.

Major. Ezra Balagtey, Armed Forces of the Philippine (AFP) Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) spokesman, said Leonida Guao is the finance officer of the NPA in the whole of Mindanao.

“(Guao is) a ranking NPA terrorist leader who handles the group’s extortion money in Mindanao,” he said.

Guao is the third Communist leader arrested this week by authorities.

A police report said authorities recovered an improvised explosive device (IED) and one caliber .45 pistol with chamber load and one inserted magazine loaded with six rounds of ammunition.

Balagtey said Guao was arrested for by virtue of warrant of arrest for murder case issued by Regional Trial Court Branch-7, Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur.

Guao was placed under the custody of the regional Philippine National Police ? Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) for further legal processing.

Balagtey said Lt General Benjamin Madrigal Jr., Eastern Mindanao Command chief, “expressed his appreciation for the cooperation of the different government agencies and the community that led to the arrest” of Guao.

“The arrest gave justice to the victims of their atrocities, particularly those indigenous peoples they brutally killed, the common people who have been victimized by their extortion and terroristic activities, and those who have lost their livelihood brought about by their arson and sabotage activities,” Madrigal said.

“This arrest is a result of the cooperation of the whole community and the different law enforcement agencies. It also proves that the terrorists cannot run away from the long arm of the law,” he added. Robina Asido/DMS