MATAPOS madakip ng Philippine Army 2nd Infantry Division, katuwang ang PNP, ang chairman ng Communist Party of the Philippines –New People’s Army, dalawang top-ranking terrorist leaders ang nadakip sa ikinasang law enforcement operation sa Barangay Valenzuela, Makati City.

Ayon sa ulat na isinumite ng 2ID sa tanggapan ni Phil. Army Commanding General Lt. Gen. Roy Galido, apat na araw matapos nilang maaresto si CPP Chairman Baylon Villarico, ang pinaka­mataas na pinuno ng Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) sa Southern Tagalog Region, ay nadakip naman nila sina Gavino Panganiban, a.k.a. Nori/Momoy/Benson/ Sonny/Mando/Teddy/Rato, at Marites David, a.k.a. Teacher Lally/Nikki.

Sina Gavino Panganiban at Marites David ay nadakip sa isinagawang joint law enforcement operation ng Joint Task Force Katagalugan (JTFK) ng militar at Southern Police District sa Pililia Street sa Barangay Valenzuela sa Makati City.

Ayon kay Brig. Gen. Cerilo Balaoro Jr., “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.”

Kapwa inilagay sa kustodiya ng PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group ang dalawa, for documentation and proper legal processing.

Samantala, lubha umanong katawa-tawa ang naging pahayagan ng CPP-NPA matapos na mabitag ang pinaka­mataas na pinuno ng CPP-NPA sa Southern Tagalog Region, na hindi umano dapat dakpin si Baylon Villarico dahil isa itong peace consultant, ayon sa National Security Council.

Ayon kay ADG Jonathan E. Malaya, NSC Official Spokesperson, “We find as funny and preposterous the claim of the CPP-NPA-NDF that CPP Chairman Baylon Villarico is a “peace consultant” and is therefore immune from arrest under the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantee (JASIG) signed way back during the Fidel Ramos administration.”

Ayon kay Malaya, kinansela na ng pamahalaan ang JASIG noon pang 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,” ani ADG Malaya.

Ayon kay Philippine Army-2nd Infantry Division (ID) Spokesman Lt. Col. Jeffrex Molina Molina, nasakote si Villarico matapos matunton ang pinagtataguan nito sa Brgy. Fairview, Quezon City at inaresto sa bisa ng warrant of arrest na inisyu ni Judge Rodolfo Obnamina Jr. ng Regional Trial Court (RTC), 4th Judicial Region, Branch 64 sa Mauban, Quezon sa kasong kidnapping with murder.

Siya ay kalihim ng Southern Tagalog Regional Party Committee (STRPC) at kasapi ng Political Bureau (Politburo) ng CPP-NPA-NDF. (JESSE KABEL RUIZ)