After nabbing the leader of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front in Cebu, the Armed Forces of the Philippines on Sunday asked the insurgents to surrender.
“We call [on] the rest of the members of the CPP-NPA to lay down their arms, abandon the armed struggle, return to the comfort of their families, and join us in bringing peace and development to our nation,” AFP chief of staff General Emmanuel Bautista said in a televised news conference.
“The arrest of Benito and Wilma Tiamzon is another victory for the combined efforts between the AFP and PNP (Philippine National Police) and other stakeholders in pursuit of peace and security,” he noted.
On Saturday, around 3:15 p.m., the Tiamzon couple were arrested in Barangay Zaragoza, Aloguinsan, Cebu.
Wilma Tiamzon was allegedly the secretary general of CPP-NPA while her husband, Benito, was purportedly the chairman of the group.
“These [arrests] contribute largely to our cause of finally winning peace in our country. Remember that [Benito] Tiamzon is the head of the military NPA and CPP who directs the armed struggle all around the country; who direct all the land mining, killing, and the violence perpetuated by CPP,” Bautista claimed.
NPA will celebrate its 45th anniversary on March 29.
Bautista said that the rebels had transformed into bandits who “focus on extortion activities.”
The AFP chief also noted that “no singular person was directly responsible” for the arrests.
“It is a continuing activity and it is a collective efforts of the all the units of the Armed Forces past and present,” he said.
“Indeed, it was a great step forward… for us to finally put an end to armed struggle. [This] is a very big contribution to that effort,” he added.
According to Bautista, the couple is currently with the PNP-CIDG (Crime Investigation and Detection Group) for processing and documentation. Then, they will be moved to the PNP Custodial Center.
Bautista also noted that the military is prepared for retaliatory attacks from the NPA following Tiamzons’ arrest.
In a statement on its website, the CPP condemned the couple’s arrest, saying that the criminal chargest against the Tiamzons were — Rouchelle R. Dinglasan/BM, GMA News
