WORLD : Filipino Rebel Leader Captured

MANILA —  Philippine troops captured Communist rebel leader Satur Ocampo and his wife in a Manila ambush today that politicians and diplomats said was a major setback to the insurgents.

Ocampo and Carolina Malay surrendered when soldiers blocked their car in the Makati financial district and pointed guns at their heads, a military spokesman said.

Senate Defense Committee Chairman Ernesto Maceda said the capture of the former journalist could signal a real turning point in the 20-year insurgency.

Authorities said Ocampo and Malay are important members of the banned Communist Party’s central committee. Ocampo is also believed to be chairman of the National Democratic Front, an illegal umbrella organization of 13 leftist groups.