PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) Chief Oscar Albayalde said the arrest of key leaders of the leftists group will strengthen the localized peace talks.
Albayalde said the arrest of key leaders of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)- National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) including that of Rafael Baylosis and Vicente Ladlad may encourage more of the underground members to surrender to the government.
“Definitely it will have adverse effect on their organization. This goes to show that these consultants are armed...Sa ngayon I think it will even strengthen the localized peace talks.
They will think that there is peace after all. Matatakot sila na umabot pa sa ganito ang sitwasyon nila,” he said.
“Our government is opening doors para sa mga nagbabalik loob na sa batas. Mas marami pa ang nag-surrender ngayon kaysa noong mayroon pang national peace talks,” he added.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) earlier said that over 2,000 New People’s Army (NPA) members and supporters have surrendered to the government.
Baylosis was arrested on January 31 in a joint police-military operations in Quezon City for illegal possession of firearms.
He was arrested along with an alleged NPA member Guillermo Roque. Recovered from them were two calibre .45 pistols, 14 ammunitions & two magazines.
On Thursday, Ladlad was arrested in a “safehouse” in Novaliches Quezon City by the virtue of a search warrant over illegal possession of firearms.
The arrests were made following the order of President Rodrigo Duterte on December to arrest the CPP-NDFP peace consultants and negotiators after he cancelled the peace talks.
On July, Duterte has approved the guidelines for the localized peace talks where local government officials are being tasked to have talks with the communist rebels in their areas of responsibility.
The PNP leadership, however, reiterated earlier that the operations which resulted in the arrest of Ladlad and Baylosis were plain law enforcement operation and not political.
“Ito is a violation of the law. Not a political issue. This is the violation of the law. Illegal possession of loose firearms. Let us be clear on that... This is a simple or blatant violation of law ‘yung possession of loose firearms,” said Albayalde.
Meanwhile, Quezon City Police District director Chief Superintendent Joselito Esquivel said charges were already filed against Ladlad and Alberto Virginia Villamor, the couple who was living with him, before QC Assistant City Prosecutor Julan Ilao.
He said Ladlad will remain in the custody of the QCPD until an order coming from the court says otherwise. (SunStar Philippines)