[Manila Times] A senior Maoist militant leader was nabbed in a military operation conducted in Calinan district in Davao City on Tuesday. Authorities say Ruditha Rosete Gaylawan is the secretary general of Front Committee 54 of the Communist Party of the Philippines.The militant leader faces a series of criminal charges, including murder. Her elder brother, Bobby Rosete, is also a ranking insurgent.
Last year, a top NPA leader, Leoncio Pitao, alias Ka Parago and his female medical aide, Kyle Hermosa, were killed in battles with Philippine soldiers in Davao City. Pitao, the commander of the brutal Pulang Bagani Command, has been blamed by the military for deadly attacks on military and police targets in Davao and nearby areas.