TALISAY CITY, NEGROS OCCIDENTAL — A man from Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay is among five individuals allegedly linked to the New People’s Army (NPA) who were arrested in a coordinated law enforcement operation in Talisay City on the night of April 24, 2026, following a recent deadly encounter in northern Negros.
Authorities identified the arrested suspect from Ipil as Glemmer Ruelis Bacusmo, 48 years old, one of the five individuals taken into custody during the operation.
The other arrested suspects were identified as Danny Boy Pacheco De Baguio, 25, of Himamaylan City; Judy Manayon Caramihan, 34, of San Carlos City; Julie Ann Balora, 26, of Murcia; and Jerome Escamrosa Seballos, 57, of Bacolod City.
The operation was carried out after intensified intelligence monitoring linked the group to movements following a recent armed encounter in Toboso, Negros Occidental on April 19, 2026, where government troops clashed with alleged NPA members. Reports indicated that around 19 alleged rebels were killed in that incident, though official verification of the full circumstances remains ongoing.
Police said Bacusmo and the others were believed to have evaded the earlier military operation, prompting follow-up surveillance and a coordinated interdiction effort in Talisay City.
The successful arrest was the result of joint operations involving the Regional Intelligence Division, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), Regional Mobile Force Battalion, PNP Special Action Force, and local police units in Negros Occidental.
Officials emphasized that the capture was made possible through “fast and coordinated intelligence work” aimed at tracking suspected rebel movements across different areas of the province.
Investigators are still determining the specific roles and level of involvement of each of the arrested individuals, including Bacusmo, who is now under custodial investigation.
Authorities said appropriate charges are being prepared while further operations continue in nearby areas to ensure that no remaining armed suspects evade arrest.