Alleged NPA fund raiser nabbed 

KORONADAL CITY — The police has caught a woman facing more than a dozen cases in different courts for allegedly helping raise funds for communist armed groups.  

The 41-year-old suspect, who is from Cagayan de Oro City and was an employee of a non-government organization, was arrested on Saturday in Kalamansig town in Sultan Kudarat by combined police units from the Northern Mindanao and Soccsksargen regions.   

Soccsksargen Regional Office Director Jimili L. Macaraeg told reporters Monday they did not immediately announce the arrest to give local tipsters who helped locate her in Kalamansig enough time to temporarily relocate to other areas for safety.  

Mr. Macaraeg said the suspect moved out of Cagayan de Oro and hid in Kalamansig after authorities filed criminal cases against her in different courts in Northern Mindanao.  

She was tagged as “bagwoman” or handler of funds for groups in the region of the New People’s Army, the armed wing of the communist movement in the Philippines.   

Authorities said parts of the funds came from solicitations for their community projects for impoverished communities. 

The suspect is now detained in Cagayan de Oro while awaiting court proceedings. — John M. Unson