Alleged high-ranking NPA official arrested in Bohol

September 18, 2020

Government forces apprehended a suspected high-ranking official of New People's Army (NPA) in Bohol on Thursday, a military official said Friday.

1st Lt. Elma Grace Remonde, civil military operations officer of the 47th Infantry Battalion, identified the arrested rebel as Junifie Dagale alias Chang, 43, a member of the intelligence unit of  the regional operational command under the Southern Mindanao Regional Committee operating in Davao Region.

She said Dagale was arrested by virtue of an arrest warrant with case for murder issued by Judge Virginia Tehano-Ang of Branch 1, RTC 11, Tagum City, Davao del Norte.

Remonde said a police-military team arrested Dagale at the house of her husband’s relative in Brgy Aguining in Carlos P Garcia, Bohol around 8:30 am.

"Dagale became an activist turned into a leader of the Guerilla Front 33 operating in Davao Region. She’s involved in major acts of terrorism such as raids, arson, kidnapping and ambush using Improvised Explosive Device (IED) targeting lives of both government forces and civilians," said Remonde.

Remonde said Dagale  is  involved in three raids.

"Ka Chang is an expert in the deception and exploitation of mass and youths with the CPP-NPA-NDF fraud ideologies," Remonde said.

"As a member of the Intelligence Unit, her recruited youths became members of 'Asdang Kultura', a pseudo-cultural theater group composed of children and teenage youths, and were harnessed for gathering information and monitoring of the presence of government troops during assaults," she added.

Remonde said "the successful apprehension of Junifie Dagale simply means that the province of Bohol is not a safe haven for NPA members who want to hide and flee from their outrages." Robina Asido/DMS