Marilyn Cahatol

Army arrests alleged NPA member, Fil-Am woman in Laguna

Article (news)

Dennis Datu

ABS-CBN News

<p>LAGUNA — The Army arrested an alleged member of the New People&#x27;s Army and a Filipino-American woman in a joint security operation in Barangay San Isidro, Cabuyao City, Laguna on Thursday morning.</p><p>Brig. Gen. Melencio Ragudo, commander of the 203rd Infantry Brigade, said the suspected NPA member was identified as &quot;Ka Samay&quot;, who he said is a medical officer of a guerrilla unit in Mindoro. </p><p>He said &quot;Ka Samay&quot; is the subject of a warrant of arrest for murder.</p><div style="text-align:center"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FabscbnNEWS%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02id2QKhwqpyuK6mCRB6XbkEh1y62E3PUJmRGL3qWwbJCeNGgbTkemuRSTDdP36tx1l&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500" width="500" height="250" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br/></div><p>Ragudo did not say why the Filipino-American woman was arrested but said she had been previously reported to have been with Filipino-American activist Chantal Anicoche.</p><p>The military <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2026/1/9/one-week-after-occidental-mindoro-clash-army-finds-missing-fil-am-activist-alive-in-a-pit-0638">captured Anicoche </a>following an encounter between Army troops and alleged NPA rebels in a mountainous area of Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro in January 2026. She has since been deported.</p><p>The arrest of the two women in Cabuyao was carried out by the Army in coordination with the Bureau of Immigration, and the police.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/11/-person-of-interest-tag-no-basis-to-hold-fil-am-activist-found-near-clash-site-lawyer-1054">‘Person of interest’ tag no basis to hold Fil-Am activist found near clash site — lawyer</a></div><p>Ragudo said the two were arrested at a house he said was used by a leftist organization, and where the two allegedly conducted underground activities.</p><p>He said the two had been organizing and recruiting members for the Communist Party of the Philippines–New People’s Army–National Democratic Front.</p><p>On Wednesday, two women believed to be NPA rebels were killed in an encounter with troops in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.</p><p>One of the fatalities has been identified only by the alias “Ka Aira.” Authorities recovered two high-powered firearms from the slain woman.</p><p>A woman arrested after the encounter was released after authorities determined she had been mistakenly identified as an NPA supporter.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ui_A_5uSOu0?si=bV-nPdikk3-P-CWV" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>The Army arrested an alleged member of the New People's Army and a Filipino-American woman in a joint security operation in Barangay San Isidro, Cabuyao City, Laguna on Thursday morning.</p>

The Army arrested an alleged member of the New People's Army and a Filipino-American woman in a joint security operation in Barangay San Isidro, Cabuyao City, Laguna on Thursday morning.