POLICE and military agents on Thursday arrested two suspected ranking Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army personalities in Northern Samar who are also wanted for murder.

Police Regional Office 8 director C/Supt. Arnold Revilla identified the two as Ma. Lucia Lyn Balanquit alias Elen Balanquit/Lela/Ludy/Lily and Isaac Comerlat alias Samsom Comerlat.

A widow, Balanquit was identified as a former secretary of the CPP-NPA’s Northern Samar Provincial Party Committee before becoming a member of the Executive Committee of the Eastern Samar Regional Party Committee.

Revilla said the two were passing through a checkpoint manned by the Army’s 52nd Citizens Armed Auxiliary in Bgy. Makiwalo, Mondragon, Northern Samar when they were arrested by members of the Northern Samar Police Provincial Office and the Army’s 803rd Infantry Brigade led by 1Lt. Eric Pununang.

He said the two are the subject of standing warrants of arrest for murder issued by the Laoang, Northern Samar  Regional Trial Court Branches 21 and 22.  Both are now being held in a local police headquarters pending their turnover to court.         Alfred Dalizon