Espino: CV safe from threats of insurgents

The Central Visayas police director assured the public that Cebu is safe from the threats of communist rebels following the arrest of an alleged New People’s Army member in Dumanjug town.

Chief Supt. Jose Mario Espino said the police are on alert and tight in their monitoring of any communist rebels.

“We are sure they don’t have capabilities,” he said of the rebels.

Last Sunday afternoon, suspected NPA rebel Jonathan Lacadman, 26, was caught in Dumanjug.

He is facing 15 warrants of arrest for various criminal offens- es, including his taking part in the ambush-slay of Supt. Arnel Arpon and six other policemen in Guihulngan, Negros Oriental last July.

Espino said they are looking for more than 10 communist rebels who have pending warrants of arrest and these include Lacadman’s cohorts.

For his part, Senior Supt. Jonathan Cabal, the regional intelligence chief, said Lacadman is not a high-ranking official of the NPA, but was often utilized as a hit man.

He said his operatives are tracking down these rebels.

Some of Lacadman’s pending cases are theft, frustrated murder and murder.

Lacadman denied to reporters his participation in the ambush.

The suspect was caught by the operatives of third company of Regional Public Safety Batallion (RPSB) 7 and Dumanjug Police Station. Lacadman stayed in Dumanjug because he has a live-in partner living in the town.

Senior Insp. Philip John Libres, the RPSB 7 team leader, said Lacadman pretended to his neighbors he was employed as a construction worker.

Lacadman failed to attract suspiscion as he was kind to his neighbors. /