By Alexander Lopez

BUTUAN CITY – Police arrested two communist New People’s Army (NPA) militiamen allegedly involved in the attacks on Army detachments in separate manhunt operations Wednesday, the Police Regional Office in Caraga (PRO-13) said.

In a statement Thursday, PRO-13 identified the suspects as Ben Manaytay, 47, a resident of Lingig, Surigao del Sur, and Ando Pio, 44, of San Luis, Agusan del Sur.

Manaytay was arrested at his residence by virtue of an arrest warrant issued by the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 29 in Bislig City for murder and frustrated murder.

“Based on the investigation, he was one of the members of Milisya ng Bayan (MB) under Guerrilla Front (GF) 20 that harassed the Patrol Base of 67th Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army in Barangay Rajah Cabunsuan on May 18, 2018, killing a soldier and wounding three others,” said Brig. Gen. Romeo M. Caramat Jr., PRO-13 director.

Manaytay is also listed as among the top 10 most wanted persons in Surigao del Sur, Caramat added.

In a separate operation Wednesday, the Agusan del Sur Police Provincial Office arrested Pio in San Luis town based on the arrest warrant issued by the RTC Branch 6 in Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur, for murder.

Pio, police said, is a militiaman of "Weakened Guerrilla Front (WGF) 88 of the North Central Mindanao Regional Committee."

“He was one of the perpetrators who attacked an Army detachment in La Paz, Agusan del Sur killing a soldier in 2018,” Caramat said. (PNA)