FORMER NPA COMMANDER WITH DENR I.D ARRESTED IN SURIGAO DEL SUR CHECKPOINT

SURIGAO DEL SUR - A Commanding officer of Guerilla Front 8 and 14 New Peoples’ Army (NPA) members were nabbed during the joint police-military operation checkpoint at Sitio Tagmalinao, Brgy. La Purisima, Cagwait, Surigao del Sur the other day.

Authorities identified the NPA commander as Renan Cantos, who goes by the aliases Loki, Ronin, and Sanjo. Cantos is a resident of Marihatag, Surigao del Sur, with 10 warrants of arrest and has cases of multiple attempted homicide, frustrated murder, multiple attempted murder, kidnapping and serious illegal detention, robbery with violence and intimidation of person, and arson.

PCPT. Renel Serrano, spokesperson in PRO 13, said an identification card of Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) was confiscated from the suspect when the warrant of arrest was served.

The said ID shows Cantos as a deputy environment and natural resources officer (DENRO) in Marihatag, Surigao del Sur LGU, and has the signature of the DENR Regional Director Atty. Alex Felicer.

However, according to the director, the suspect’s I.D is fake because he is not in the list of the deputized “Bantay Gubat” of the agency.

There are also images showing Cantos participating in a seminar of DENR in LGU Marihatag but his name was not found on the attendance sheet, so authorities are suspecting he might have used a different identity.

In line with this, DENR is conducting a separate investigation and the DENR director, Atty. Felicer is planning to strengthen the security measures by putting QR code and I.D number on their identification cards.