IN PHOTO: Emotional scene captures as the arrested NPA member Esteban Sales’s wife says a parting words of goodbyes as swat members looks on.
An active member of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA), tagged as the nation’s most wanted person was arrested by joint elements of the Anti-Terrorism Task Group (ATTG) Regional Intelligence Division (RID); Regional Special Operations Group (RSOG) of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) at his residents in Barangay Pinagbuhatan in Pasig City.
In a report to NCRPO Chief Major General Debold Sinas, the suspect was identified as 59-year-old Esteban Sales alyas “Waldo”, a construction worker, and allegedly a member of the Communist Terrorist Group-ExeCom, Kilusang Larangang Gerilya (KLG 73), Bicol Region Party Committee under the Komite Seksiyon sa Platon (KSPN 1) of the Komite on Section sa ISKWAD (KSSI 1).
Reports showed that the apprehension of “Ka Waldo” on Thursday, October 22, was because of the intensified surveillance and monitoring with other government law agencies until his identification was positively confirmed.
Sinas said that Sales is a National Most Wanted Person (NMWP) with a reward for his capture of about P700,000.
Authorities served the warrant of arrest to Sales for his crime of murder issued by presiding Judge Lore R. Valencia-Bagalasco of the RTC Branch 57, Libmanan, Camarines Sur dated back on July of 2002 and a separate warrant issued on January 9, 1995 for the malicious mischief case.
Based on court record, on September 3, 2000 at about 9: 00 AM at Sitio Intramuruz, Barangay Panaytayan, Ragay, Camarines Sur, Sales shot and killed victim German Berunga, a rebel returnee and later recruited as a member of the Citizen Active Auxiliary (CAA).
Sales is now temporarily detained at RSOG Custodial Facility in the regional police headquarters in Taguig City pending return of the warrant of arrest to the issuing court.