THE National Federation of Former Rebels People’s Organization, Buklod Kapayapaan, has raised “deep concern” over the acquittal of several individuals identified as members of the Communist Party of the Philippines–New People’s Army (CPP–NPA).
In a statement furnished to SunStar Davao, the group said it was alarmed by the August 6 acquittal of CPP-NPA Central Committee members Tirso Alcantara and Renante Gamara, along with Dionisio Almonte, Diony Borre, and Raul Razo.
The group stated: “As former rebels, we know them to be leaders and cadres of the Communist Party of the Philippines–New People’s Army (CPP–NPA).”
Court records show the five were charged in connection with a May 2007 incident in Mauban, Quezon, involving the abduction and killing of a soldier and the attempted murder of a former rebel. Arrest warrants were issued years later, leading to the capture of Gamara and Alcantara in separate operations in 2014.
Alcantara, a former NPA commander in Southern Tagalog, was arrested in Lucena City, while Gamara, a labor organizer linked to the underground movement, was nabbed in Cavite. Both had served as peace consultants for the National Democratic Front (NDF) before talks with the government collapsed in 2017.
On August 14, 2025, Gamara, Borre, and Razo walked free from the Metro Manila District Jail in Taguig City following their acquittal. Almonte remains at the New Bilibid Prison, while Alcantara’s status is unclear since he had been tried in absentia.
In its ruling, the Taguig City Regional Trial Court Branch 266 said the prosecution failed to establish the accused’s identities as perpetrators. It dismissed key witness testimonies as hearsay and noted inconsistencies in the case.
Human rights group Karapatan welcomed the acquittal, calling the charges “spurious” and “trumped up,” pointing to questionable witness accounts and amended arrest orders.
Buklod Kapayapaan, however, criticized the court’s decision, saying it erodes public trust in the justice system.
“We know them by their direct roles in prolonging armed conflict in our communities across the country. Their release is troubling for us, former rebels… and for the broader public that expects our justice system to uphold accountability in cases involving organized violence,” the group said.
The federation also cited figures it linked to the CPP–NPA, reporting “578 documented cases of children drawn into armed conflict” and “343 cases of willful killings, many of which targeted unarmed civilians.”
“This court’s decision impacts Buklod Kapayapaan’s peacebuilding efforts in very real terms. It undermines the message we bring to communities that choosing the path of peace, truth, and accountability remains the right and just course,” the group said.
Buklod Kapayapaan said that it has chosen transformation over armed struggle but warned that peace without justice cannot last.
“We have chosen the path of transformation over armed struggle because we believe that peace is possible. But peace without justice and accountability is fragile and will, ultimately, be unsustainable,” the federation added. DEF