Suspects in Peña ambush arrested
Combined operatives of the police Regional Mobile Group (RMG) and military counterparts now have in custody two suspects who ambushed Mayor-elect Magdaleno Peña of Pulupandan, Negros Occidental and his bodyguards. One is believed to be the team leader in what stands as the most daring ambush in Western Visayas.
Peña survived the ambush last May 30, but his two aides were killed while three others were wounded.
Identified by intelligence agents as regular members of communist terrorists New People's Army (NPA), arrested were 43 year-old Marvin Mata alias Bong, alleged team leader of Peña's attackers and Arturo Fabiona alias Kim. The two were intercepted Tuesday morning along the national highway by Barangay Zone 15 in Talisay City, Negros Occidental. 54 year old driver of the two identified as Bonifacio Descartin of Pontevedra, Negros Occidenta was also held in police custody pending tactical interrogation.
They were on their way to Bacolod City from Talisay City on board a taxicab when authorities had them intercepted.
Chief Insp. Armando Tubongbanua, Philippine National Police (PNP) City Mobile Group (CMG) head said Fabiona, resident of Barangay Pahanocoy, Bacolod was an intelligence officer of the CPP-NPA's Komiteng Rehiyon Negros (KRN).
While Mata was the deputy secretary-organizing committee of KRN and squad leader of LG4.
Sr. Supt. Merced, chief of the Regional Mobile Group, added Mata has a pending warrant of arrest for bribery in band issued by Regional Trial Court (RTC) branch 59 judge Moises Nifras in Criminal Case number 3789, to which no bail was recommended.
Merced said Mata is also implicated in the raid of a Community Police Assistance Center (COMPAC) of the Negros Occidental Provincial Mobile Group (PMG) in Barangay Malasibog, Escalante City on March 19, 2006.
With reports from PNA