Alleged new NPA finance head in Mindanao arrested: military

June 1, 2018

ZAMBOANGA CITY - The alleged new finance head of the New People’s Army’s Komisyon Mindanao  was arrested in a law enforcement operation in Butuan City, the military reported Friday.

Brig. Gen. Franco Nemesio Gacal, commander of the 402nd Infantry Brigade, said the arrested NPA finance officer as Nerita De Castro, 55, who carries the aliases of Ka Nene, Ka Nening and Ka Nora.

Gacal said De Castro was arrested around 12:40 a.m. Thursday at Emenville Subdivision in Barangay Ambago, Butuan City.

Gacal said De Castro replaced Leonida Guao, who was arrested on February 2, 2018 in Barangay Bading also in Butuan City.

He said like Guao, De Castro was also in charge of the extortion activities of the NPA in Mindanao.

He said De Castro, a resident of Purok Malinao, Poblacion, Surigao City, is also the acting secretary of Regional White Area Committee of North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee .

He said De Castro has standing warrant of arrest for the crime of murder issued by a court in Lianga, Surigao del Sur.

Lt. Gen. Benjamin Madrigal, Jr., Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) chief, said the arrest of De Castro will give relief to small business establishments who are victims of the NPA’s extortion activities. DMS