Arrest of ranking NPA leader a big blow to underground movement, says CentCom commander

From the Philippine News Agency (May 7): Arrest of ranking NPA leader a big blow to underground movement, says CentCom commander

The arrest of the highest ranking leader of the Komiteng Rehiyonal Sentral Bisayas (KRSB) of the rebel New People’s Army (NPA) in Davao City on Wednesday morning has dealt a big blow to the insurgency problem in the Central Visayas Region.

Maj. Gen. Bonafos, commander of the Central Command (CentCom) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), described the arrest of Roy Erecre as timely with the declaration of Negros Oriental as “conflict manageable and development ready”.

His arrest was announced by Maj. Gen. John Bonafos, during Wednesday’s declaration of the province of Negros Oriental as conflict manageable and development ready with the reduction of the insurgency problem to a minimal level at the Negros Oriental Convention Center in Dumaguete.

By that phrase, military and police authorities have declared that the insurgency problem in the province has been reduced to an insignificant level which would now allow for the provincial and local governments, government agencies and other stakeholders to all participate actively at the forefront in attaining lasting peace.

“We can truly show to the public that the organizational structure of the KRSB is already dismantled with the arrest of its highest ranking official,” said Bonafos, in referring to Erecre.

He went on to say that government troops have addressed the armed component (of the KRSB) and no less than the front secretary has been arrested.

The elusive top ranked alleged leader of the Komiteng Rehiyonal Sentral Bisayas (KR-SB) of the rebel New People’s Army (NPA) was arrested in Davao City by joint military and police operatives on Wednesday morning.

Roy Erecre, alleged KR-SB secretary, was arrested around 11:15 a.m. Wednesday by combined elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) of the Philippine National Police (PNP), and members of the Davao City Police Station.

The arrest was made under the supervision of the Eastern Mindanao Command and Central Command of the AFP.

Erecre, alias Toto and Pasyong, was arrested by virtue of several arrest warrants at the vicinity of the Doña Vicenta Subdivision in Barangay Bajada, Davao City, a police report said.

The following arrest warrants were served during Erecre’s arrest for various cases, namely: Criminal Case No. 2116, for robbery in band, issued by Judge Felina Digal-Vano of the 15th Municipal Circuit Trial Court in Bilar Bohol, with no bail recommended, and Criminal Case No. 14-010-g for Frustrated Murder, ISSUED BY Judge Katrina Go of Branch 49, 6th Regional Trial Court in San Carlos City, Negros Oriental, with bail fixed at P200,000.

Also brought in for questioning was Erecre’s alleged live-in partner and companion, Judith Jaron-Niog, alias Gila, alleged secretary of the Communications Bureau of the KR-SB.

Military sources said Erecre is known for his alleged involvement in several raids and ambuscades of PNP stations and military units and personnel in Central Visayas.

These include, among others, the June 11, 1999 raid of the headquarters of the PNP Regional Mobile Group, Combat Support Company and the ambush which led to the death of Lt. Que and Lt. Bungaos in Carmen, Bohol, sometime in 1999, a military report said.

Erecre and his live-in partner are now at the CIDG Region 11 Office for custody and proper disposition.

In a related development, records at the PNP Regional Office 7 (PRO-7) at Camp Sergio Osmeña in Cebu City show that Erecre also has other standing warrants of arrest for various cases in Negros Oriental and other parts of the Central Visayas region, said Sr. Supt. Rey Lyndon Lawas, chief of the PNP’s Regional Investigation and Detective Management Division.

The cases include mostly rebellion charges as well as other complaints related to the insurgency movement, Lawas said, without further elaborating.

Although facing several charges, Erecre is not listed among the Most Wanted Persons in the Central Visayas region. Neither does he have a reward on his head for his arrest, Lawas disclosed.

Bonafos, meanwhile, assured that military and police personnel will take the necessary measures to secure Erecre, being a “high profile” person, if he is to be transferred to Bohol or wherever he is facing criminal charges.

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