Police and military authorities raided the hideout of Bonifacio Platil, the second deputy secretary of the NPA in northeastern Mindanao. He faces a number of criminal charges and is currently being interrogated in Butuan City.
Platil's capture comes at the same time that NPA leaders were calling for the resumption of the long-abandoned peace talks.
Platil has also been linked to the series of roadside bombings that killed and injured soldiers, policemen, and civilians in Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur provinces.
4th Infantry Division commander Major General Oscar Lactao said Platil is one of the masterminds of terror in the Caraga region. Lactao said, "He is a fugitive of the law, and destroyer of hopes of thousand Filipinos in Caraga. For those who were victimized especially those who were killed by this criminal, we are one step closer in achieving justice."