JUSTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla announced on Thursday the conviction of a ranking member of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) for the crimes of illegal possession of explosives and illegal possession of firearms or ammunition.

According to Secretary Remulla, the Taguig City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 266 found Tirso Alcantara alias Ka Bart/Nissan, a known Executive Committee member and 'Kadre' or leader of the Southern Tagalog Party Committee of the CPP-NPA, guilty of the said crimes and sentenced him to suffer the indeterminate penalty of eleven years and four months of prision mayor as minimum to 16 years, five months and nine days of reclusion temporal as maximum and a fine of P50,000.