A member of the New People’s Army (NPA) suspected to be the right-hand man of slain rebel leader Leoncio Pitao alias Commander Parago was arrested along with three others in Davao City on Tuesday.

First Lieutenant Alexandre Caballes, spokesman of the Army’s 10th Infantry Division, identified Parago’s alleged aide as Christopher Rollon alias Joel Quano.

Quano and his companions, identified as Mike Capito, Ranny Ninal and Alexander Bartolome, were arrested by combined police and military operatives at around 12 noon at an eatery in Calinan District.

All four were arrested by virtue of warrants of arrest issued by the Davao City Regional Trial Court Branch 16 for murder, attempted murder, and robbery.

Quano was believed to be second in command of the NPA’s Pulang Bagani Command – Southern Mindanao Regional Command (PBC 1-SMRC).

Seized from Quano were two grenades, a handgun and a bag loaded with improvised explosive device (IED).

The suspects are now detained at the Davao City Police Office’s Investigation and Detection Management Branch.