Authorities arrested on Saturday a couple suspected as high ranking officials of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army in a joint military and police operation in Getafe, Bohol.
Lt. Col. Allan Tabudlo, commander of the 47th Infantry (Katapatan) Battalion based in Tubigon, Bohol, said in a statement that the couple, Rey Camacho, 51, and his wife, Carmelita, 48, were arrested by virtue of a warrant of arrest for murder issued by the Regional Trial Court of Bohol.
Tabudlo said Rey, who carries four aliases – Jeboy, Teddy, Chad and Val – works as finance staff of the CPP-NPA, while Carmelita, alias Maureen or Inday, works as head of the National Commission Special Operations Group (NCSOG).
Tabudlo said the joint forces cornered the couple at a communist terrorist group lair in Tulang village of Getafe when authorities served the warrant at 5:30 a.m. on Feb. 8.
Camacho was the former secretary of the Komiteng Rehiyon Central Visayas–Regional Operational Command, then later installed as its commander, before he became the Regional Finance Tax Implementing Group head for Negros, Cebu, Bohol and Siquijor. At the moment of his arrest, he was identified as the National Finance Commission staff of the CPP-NPA.
His wife Carmelita became NFC staff before she joined the special operations group in charge of the three regions of the Visayas.
Through a search warrant served simultaneously with the arrest warrant, authorities recovered two laptop computers, three handguns (two .38 calibers and one .45 caliber) and ammunition, two hand grenades, one hard case of various explosives, detonating cords and blasting caps, 15 cellular phones, several flash drives, subversive propaganda documents, sacks of butane and other camping paraphernalia, the military statement said.
Tabudlo claimed the arrest of Camacho couple was a result of the merging efforts of the security forces and the locals who reported the latter’s whereabouts in Bohol.
“We are materializing the mandate of this whole-of-nation approach to eradicate these insurgents and likewise, we are urging the public to continue your support in sustaining peace and order in the province. Together, we will accomplish our mission in ending this local communist armed conflict in Bohol,” he said.
The police will return the warrants to the RTC of Bohol so the judge could issue court order for the detention of the Camacho couple while the case of murder is being heard.
The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.
