SURIGAO DEL NORTE, Philippines — A Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) member listed in the Philippine National Police’s Periodic Status Report (PSR) was arrested during a joint counterinsurgency operation in Barangay Santa Cruz, Placer, Surigao del Norte on September 5, 2026, authorities said.
Personnel of the 1st Special Action Battalion (1SAB) of the PNP Special Action Force (SAF) provided tactical support to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Surigao del Norte Provincial Field Unit (PFU) and other PNP units during the operation that led to the arrest of a person identified by authorities as alias Marjun/Julia.
According to the police, the arrested individual was listed in the PSR as a CTG Vice Squad Leader under Squad 1, Platoon 1, Sub-Regional Sentro De Grabidad (SRSDG), Westland, North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC) for the first quarter of calendar year 2025.
The operation was carried out pursuant to two outstanding warrants of arrest issued by courts in Northern Mindanao.
The first warrant was for Murder, under Criminal Case No. 2024-228, issued by the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 33 of the 10th Judicial Region in Butuan City on March 12, 2024.
The second was for Attempted Homicide, under Criminal Case No. 2078, issued by the Municipal Circuit Trial Court (MCTC) of Magallanes-Las Nieves-Remedios T. Romualdez, 10th Judicial Region, Agusan del Norte, on February 15, 2024.
Following the arrest, the CIDG Surigao del Norte PFU took custody of the suspect for documentation and proper disposition in accordance with legal procedures.
Police authorities described the operation as part of their continuing efforts to locate and apprehend wanted individuals and address armed insurgency-related threats in communities across the region.
The successful implementation of the warrants also highlights the role of coordinated operations among PNP units, particularly in cases involving individuals facing serious criminal charges and those identified by authorities as having links to armed groups.
Authorities, however, will still have to establish the accused person’s liability through the judicial process. The warrants and the allegations contained in the criminal cases do not, by themselves, constitute a final finding of guilt.
The arrest comes amid continuing government security operations in northeastern Mindanao aimed at pursuing individuals allegedly involved in the communist insurgency and strengthening peace and security in affected communities.
The arrested individual remains under the custody of the CIDG Surigao del Norte PFU pending the appropriate legal proceedings and disposition of the cases.