SURIGAO DEL SUR – A targeted operation by law enforcement on All Saints' Day has resulted in the capture of a wanted member of the New People's Army (NPA).
According to Philippines News Agency, Brig. Gen. Kirby John Kraft, director of the Police Regional Office in the Caraga Region (PRO-13), detailed the apprehension of Cristituto P. Tejero, identified as a regular member of Weakened Guerrilla Front 19, under the North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee of the NPA. "Tejero has a standing arrest warrant for murder issued by the Regional Trial Court Branch 27 in Tandag City, Surigao del Sur," Kraft stated. The arrest was executed by a coordinated team comprising elements from the 1303rd Mobile Company, Regional Mobile Force Battalion 13, Regional Intelligence Unit 13, Eastern Mindanao Tactical Operation Group, Naval Intelligence, and the San Agustin Municipal Police Station. The 51-year-old Tejero was allegedly involved in the murder of a soldier in March 2022 and is considered a high-priority target within Surigao del Sur and the broader Caraga Region.