Philippine guerrilla chief arrested in Manila as Duterte ends peace talks

A senior Maoist guerrilla leader was arrested in Manila, Philippine security forces said Thursday, in the first swoop on the rebel leadership since President Rodrigo Duterte ended peace talks. Police said Rafael Baylosis and another armed man were detained in the capital on Wednesday after a tip-off, AFP reported. Baylosis headed the Communist Party of the Philippines during the 1980s peak of the insurgency to overthrow a capitalist system. The 69-year-old was described as the acting secretary of the Maoist party’s guerilla wing, the New People’s Army. Officials said they were executing an arrest warrant for Baylosis over a series of 1985 purges for which he and several other top rebel leaders were charged with murder. Baylosis pleaded not guilty to the charge in 2016 and was bailed.