MANILA, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Philippine security forces shot and arrested a senior Maoist guerrilla the day after a ceasefire ended, weakening the rebels' leadership and putting a question mark over the planned resumption of peace talks next month.
Tirso Alcantara, a member of the communist party’s political bureau which also controls the New People’s Army (NPA), was caught on Tuesday night in Quezon province, south of Manila, while attempting to pass through a checkpoint.
Colonel Generoso Bolina, an army spokesman, said the arrest would derail Maoist plans to launch offensives as a way of increase their leverage in peace talks set to resume next month in Oslo, Norway.
"This would be a big blow to the NPA rebels’ morale. He has been drawing up the rebels’ military plans and directions," said Bolina, describing Alcantara, also known as Ka (Comrade) Bart, as the highest ranking rebel leader to be captured in four years. On Saturday, another Maoist leader, Edwin Brigano, was caught while visiting his family on the southern island of Mindanao.
A NPA spokesman had said that arrest could threaten the resumption of peace talks next month. The NPA could not be reached on Wednesday for comment on Alcantara’s arrest. The Maoists have been fighting since the 1960s to overthrow the Philippine government. The conflict has killed 40,000 people and stunted growth in poor but resource-rich rural areas in the country.
Analysts say the Maoists’ decision to return to peace negotiations after a break of more than five years was aimed at ensuring they do not lose support and relevance to a popular government, rather ending their rebellion.
Quezon province police chief Ericsson Velasquez told Reuters that Alcantara, who has outstanding warrants on murder charges, was arrested for illegal possession of guns and explosives.
"He was shot in the buttock when he tried to resist arrest," Velasquez said, adding Alcantara had left his house in Lucena City a few minutes before a raid by soldiers and police.
