Di umano’y CPP acting chair, inaresto sa Quezon City — NSC

INARESTO ng mga awtoridad ang di umano’y acting chairperson ng Communist Party of the Philippines (CCP) sa Fairview, Quezon City para sa kasong ‘kidnapping at murder’.

Kinilala ni National Security Council (NSC) National Security Adviser Eduardo Año ang inaresto na si Wigberto “Baylon” Villarico.

“We commend the AFP, the PNP, and the NTF-ELCAC (National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict) for the successful operation that resulted in the arrest of Wigberto Villarico alias ‘Baylon,’ the Acting Chairman of the CPP,” ang sinabi ni Año.

“This operation is a major step in our ongoing efforts to dismantle the leadership of the communist terrorist group and bring lasting peace to our country,” dagdag na wika nito.

Sinabi naman ng National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) na ipinatupad ng mga awtoridad ang warrant of arrest laban kay Villarico.

“The case was originally filed at Regional Trial Court Branch 64 in Quezon but was transferred to Taguig City RTC Branch 266, which certified the validity of the issued warrant of arrest,” ang sinabi ng NCRPO.

“A 35-year-old woman was also apprehended in the same operation “for providing false identification of the accused and obstruction of justice,” dagdag na pahayag ng NCRPO.

Tinuran pa nito na “According to reports, Villarico, known by multiple aliases, is among the suspects in the kidnapping and murder of two victims back in 2007 in Brgy. Cagsiay, Quezon.”

Ayon pa sa pulis, si Villarico ay Kalihim ng Southern Tagalog Regional Party Committee na nago-operate sa Calabarzon at Mimaropa. siya rin di umano’y miyembro ng Political Bureau (Politburo) ng CPP.

Samantala, sa kalatas ng CPP, hiniling nito ang agarang pagpapalaya kay Villarico, tinukoy bilang isang peace consultant ng National Democratic Front o Philippines (NDFP), ang political wing ng communist organization.

“The Party demands that Villarico’s rights be respected and that he be immediately released. All trumped up charges against him must be immediately withdrawn. We demand that he be accorded his right to his own lawyer, and to a doctor of his choice,” ang sinabi ng CPP sabay sabing ang 68-year-old na si Villarico ay dumaranas na ng ilang sakit na kailangan ng suportang medikal.

Winika pa ng CPP na ang papel ni Villarico ay isang NDFP consultant for peace negotiations, si Villarico ang nagsilbing boses para ipabatid ang kapanan ng mga manggagawa, magsasaka, estudyante at iba pang sektor sa Southern Tagalog.

“Being a peace consultant of the NDFP, Villarico is protected by the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG). He holds documents identifying him as such. Under the JASIG, the Philippine government agreed not to subject consultants, personnel, and staff members of the NDFP to surveillance and arrest,” ayon pa rin sa CPP.

Bukod kay Villarico, ipinanawagan din ng CPP ang pagpapalaya sa 35 taong gulang na babae na kasama ni Villarico na inaresto ng mga awtoridad. (Daris Jose)