The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) demanded the immediate release of its “acting chairman,” Wigberto “Baylon” Villarico, asserting that he is protected by a safe passage agreement with the government.
“The arrest of Villarico is in blatant disregard of the Jasig (or Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees). The military and police responsible for Villarico’s arrest must be held accountable for this violation,” the group stated.
In response, National Security Council (NSC) spokesperson Jonathan Malaya described the demand as “funny and preposterous,” noting that the Jasig was terminated in 2017.
“We find the claim of the CPP-NPA-NDF that CPP Chairman Baylon Villarico is a ‘peace consultant’ and therefore immune from arrest under the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantee (JASIG), signed during the Fidel Ramos administration, to be quite absurd,” Malaya said.
“The JASIG was terminated by the government in 2017. So what immunity under the JASIG are they talking about? The Joint Oslo Communique of 2023, signed under the Marcos Jr. administration with the NDF, did not resurrect the JASIG. The JASIG is as good as dead,” he further elaborated.
Malaya pointed out that Villarico was arrested based on a warrant issued by the Mauban, Quezon regional trial court for multiple crimes, including extortion, recruiting minors and students as combatants, violations of the Anti-Terrorism Act, rebellion, and kidnapping with murder.
Lt. Col. Jeffrex Molina, spokesperson for the 2nd Infantry Division (2ID), confirmed that Villarico is currently detained in the custody of the Philippine National Police’s Southern Police District (SPD). He encouraged remaining members of leftist groups to surrender.
“The arrest of Villarico is a manifestation of the weakening of the terrorist group. We continue to encourage remaining members of the NPA and other insurgent allies to step down, abandon violence, reunite with mainstream society, and contribute to the government’s development programs for both the region and the entire country,” Molina stated.
