Four alleged female members of the New People’s Army (NPA) were arrested in Nueva Ecija last Saturday.

Included in the arrested rebels was a student from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP). PUP is in the list of schools identified by the Philippine National Police (PNP) as allegedly being targeted by the NPA to recruit its members.

The rebels were identified as Yolanda Diamsay, alias Mariz; Eulalia Pangkaliwangan Ladesma; Rachel Acana Galario, alias Rose; and Elaine Edzel Emocling, alias George, who were allegedly conducting recruitment, propaganda activities, and extortion in the community.

Emocling was said to be a student of PUP.

First Lieutenant Catherine Hapin, chief of the Public Affairs Office of Army’s 7th Infantry Division (7ID) said the suspects were arrested at Sitio 32, Barangay Agbannawag, Rizal at 3:40pm after receiving a report from the barangay about their activities.

“The government troops found two amazonas recruiting residents. One of them was caught carrying a rifle. Two other female rebels went out of a nipa hut nearby and were caught with firearms, various (pieces of) ammunition, explosives and improvised explosive devices (IEDs),” Hapin said.

Authorities recovered firearms, pieces of ammunition, gadgets and voluminous subversive documents from the rebels, who are now under the custody of the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.