The 49-year-old NPA official identified as Rosemarie Buergo alias Irene Sanchez was arrested in Barangay San Jose, San Fernando City, Pampanga last Saturday. The Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 42 issued a warrant for her arrest for murder and robbery under Criminal Case nos.15423 and 15422, respectively, according to the military.
Major Gen. Ireneo Espino, commander of the Army’s 7th Infantry Division (7ID) based here presented to media here the suspect who had been raising her left arm to symbolize continues struggle despite her fall.
The suspect was a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Social Work at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman in Quezon City where she subsequently worked as researcher on community development service before joining the communist-led movement in 1985, records showed.
Espino said Buergo was secretary of Sangay sa Partido Platun in Pampanga, Bataan, and Zambales of the NPA’s Central Luzon Regional Committee.
Her husband, Efren dela Lamon alias Baste, was secretary of SPP Bulacan until his apprehension in 2009, the authorities added.
“The capture of this NPA (officer) is a big blow to the underground movement particularly in Central Luzon,” Espino said, adding that active rebels may lay down their arms and join the mainstream society. He said the government has set up a program to help them.
But “those who continue to sow terror will be relentlessly pursued,” the general stressed.
Journalists were not given the chance to ask questions to the alleged guerilla leader.
The military records showed that 28 CPP-NPA personalities were neutralized while 33 high-powered firearms were recovered from January to March 2010. Fifteen affected barangays are scheduled for evaluation and validation to be declared cleared before the June 2010 deadline set by President Arroyo in the government’s anti-insurgency campaign.
Espino also mentioned that the provinces of Aurora and Tarlac were already declared insurgency-free on February 19 and March 23 respectively.
