Soldiers, cops, Cafgu hailed for arresting NPA ‘hitman’

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – The Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade (IBde) recognized the efforts of 38 soldiers, policemen, and members of the Special CAFGU Active Auxiliary (SCAA) for the arrest of an alleged hitman of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental last month.

Brigadier General Inocencio Pasaporte, 303rd IBde commander, and Mayor Carlo Jorge Joan Reyes, chairperson of Guihulngan City Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (GCTF-ELCAC) led the pinning of Military Commendation Medals to 11 troopers of the 62nd Infantry Battalion (IB), 24 personnel of Guihulngan City Police Station, 704th Regional Mobile Force Battalion-7, and 2nd Negros Oriental Provincial Mobile Force Company, and three members of SCAA, in a ceremony held at the 62nd IB Advance Command Post in Barangay McKinley last week.

The SCAA members also received cash incentives from the Army.

These government forces demonstrated courage and determination that led in the arrest of Robert Estorco alias “Jango” in the city on September 25, according to the Army.

Estorco, who was considered by the Army as one of the elusive NPA members in Negros Island, was linked to the killing of a member of the Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (Cafgu) in January 2019, and another victim of a shooting incident in May this year.

Lieutenant Colonel Melvin Flores, 62nd IB commander, in a statement, lauded them for their dedication in winning the war against the NPA terrorists in central Negros.

“We have reduced them by more than a half because of the hard work, unity, and support of the local government,” he said.

For his part, Reyes thanked the law enforcers for bringing peace to the city.

“Hopefully we will continue to have zero NPA terrorists here in Guihulngan, because it is our longtime dream,” the mayor said.