Philippine army troops backed by police arrested yesterday two high-ranking officials of the New People’s Army (NPA) in joint operations held in the cities of Valenzuela and Makati.
Second Infantry Division spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrex Molina identified the alleged rebel leaders as Gavino Panganiban and Maritess David.
Their arrests came four days after law enforcement authorities nabbed acting Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) chairperson Wigberto Villarico in Quezon City.
Panganiban was captured by virtue of arrest warrants for Murder and Attempted Murder in Infanta and Gumaca, Quezon. Meanwhile, David was arrested for allegedly violating the Comprehensive Law on Firearms and Ammunition.
“Their arrest will eventually add to the deteriorating morale in the ranks of the communist terrorist group due to the successive arrest, capture, surrender, and death of their members and leadership these past months.” Molina said.
The two arrested NPA rebels were placed under the custody of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group for documentation and proper legal processing.
Meanwhile, 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 a statement.
National Security Council (NSC) spokesperson Jonathan Malaya described the demand as “funny and preposterous,” noting that the Jasig was terminated in 2017.
“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.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “Army, police capture 2 more key NPA rebels in Metro Manila”
