Two alleged hitmen of the New People's Army (NPA) were arrested by a team of police and military operatives over the weekend in Cabdbaran City, Agusan del Norte province.
The suspects, identified as Regie A. Ligan, 20, and Gabriel R. Sagay, 28, were nabbed by the authorities, according to Police Regional Office-CCaraga (PRO-13) director Brig. Gen. Pablo Labra II.
Labra mentioned that during the suspects' arrest on March 11, a 9-mm pistol and a.45-caliber pistol were recovered.
Ligan and Sagay were members of the Special Partisan Unit (SPARU) squad leader of Sandatahang Yunit Pampropaganda 21C, NPA Guerrilla Front 21, and the North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee, said the police.
Moreover, Ligan has an arrest warrant for attempted homicide issued by the Municipal Circuit Trial Court in October 2022, while Sagay has a pending frustrated murder case before the Regional Trial Court Branch 7 in Bayugan City in May 2021.
Labra stated that the 9 mm pistol seized from the suspects bore a Philippine National Police marking issued to Patrolman Nazar Alistair A. Libot, who was killed in 2021 when the NPA ransacked a farm in Butuan City.
The 45-caliber pistol, on the other hand, bore some Armed Forces of the Philippines markings.
According to Labra, the suspects also produced five sachets of shabu with a street value of PHP 6,800.
