Captured CPP-NPA leader turned over to Cebu court

From the Philippine News Agency (May 8): Captured CPP-NPA leader turned over to Cebu court

Ranking leader of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPA-NPA), Roy Arboladura Erecre, arrested in Davao City on Wednesday, was immediately committed to a Cebu City court where a string of non-bailable offenses were filed against him.

Erecre also known as Vide Alguna, Toto and Pasyong, together with his girlfriend Judith Jaron Niog, were nabbed at Doña Salud Subdivision in Sasa, this city at around 11:00 a.m. by a combined elements of the military and police on May 7 following a week of surveillance by military and police intelligence operatives. He is the secretary of the Central Visayas Regional Committee of the CPP-NPA and carries a P5.4 million bounty for his arrest.

Niog was immediately released by the arresting team because she has no record of any offenses.

Capt. Alberto Caber, the chief of the Public Information Office, Eastern Mindanao Command, said Erecre was transported to Cebu via Butuan City in the afternoon of May 7 after the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) took mug shots, fingerprinting, initial information and medical check-up were taken. Erecre has pending cases of rebellion, robbery in band and frustrated murder.

“That is part of the procedure because his (standing) warrants of arrest were issued by a court in Cebu. We followed the proper disposition,” Caber said in a phone interview. Erecre has been under surveillance the past week, was arrested by virtue of the arrest warrants for a number of non-bailable criminal offenses in Bohol and Cebu in the 1990s and early 2000. He reportedly led an ambush which killed two army officers in 19990 in Carmen, Bohol.

According to Caber, Erecre was cooperative during the initial investigation, although he was surprised during the arrest because he was already cornered by the military and police operatives.

Caber said a money amounting to P352,000, assorted documents and receipts, cellular phone and flash drive were taken from the possession of Erecre.

Caber said Erecre may have a mission in Davao region although, military informants claimed he has been seen in a hotel and beach hopping in Davao.

“He may have a mission here…the NPAs are active here. (Maybe) supporting the NPA in other provinces,” Caber said, adding that Erecre is a candidate to replace spouses Benito and Wilma Tiamzon, who were arrested last March. Benito and Wilma are the chair and finance officer of the CPP-NPA, respectively. Erecre is the third high ranking CPP-NPA leader arrested by government troops after the Tiamzons.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=641823