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Army: No proof of NPA leaders' death in Samar sea blast

By Sarwell Meniano

August 23, 2022, 4:35 pm

<p>New People’s Army leaders Benito and Wilma Tiamzon.<em> (File photo) </em></p>

New People’s Army leaders Benito and Wilma Tiamzon. (File photo) 

TACLOBAN CITY – The Philippine Army has not found any evidence so far that the New People’s Army (NPA) leaders, couple Benito and Wilma Tiamzon, were among those killed when a pump boat exploded early Monday off the coast of Catbalogan City, Samar.

Philippine Army 8th Infantry Division commander Maj. Gen. Edgardo De Leon said on Tuesday their troops conducted underwater scouring hours after the incident and they only saw small pieces of debris in the same spot where the motorboat carrying about 10 armed rebels exploded.

“We really have to determine if there were human casualties. There were no body parts seen yesterday by our search team due to massive explosion. Even our troops chasing the motorboat located few meters away felt the strong impact of the blast,” De Leon told the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

The military sent another search team on Tuesday to look for physical evidence.

Unverified reports disclosed the Tiamzon couple was among the casualties during the explosion within the seawater of Canhawan-Guti village in Catbalogan around 4 a.m. on Aug. 22.

The couple is said to be in charge of the overall operation of the NPA.

De Leon said they have received reports that the couple has been hiding in the mountains of Samar provinces, attempting to get out from the area cordoned by military operations.

“There were indicators that the Tiamzon couple were in the area, but we can only speculate since we cannot provide physical evidence. The incident happened when it was totally dark. This is underwater and there are many factors that hinder our search effort,” he added.

Acting on tips from locals, soldiers chased a pump boat loaded with 10 armed men and boxes within the seawater of Canhawan-Guti village in Catbalogan.

Upon approach to the suspected boat, the troop used a megaphone to advise the passengers to submit for plain view inspection.

Before soldiers ended the verbal advisory, passengers from the motorized boat fired shots toward the government troops, ensuing an armed encounter.

During the gunfight, for reasons still being determined, the hostile boat exploded, according to the official.

“They are trying to transfer to another place bringing with them explosives that would be used to attack government forces. They’re moving to different places due to massive rejections of thousands of their former sympathizers,” De Leon said.

The Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) chair Benito and his wife Wilma, the group's secretary-general were arrested on March 22, 2014, and detained at Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, Camp Crame, Quezon City.

They were granted bail in August 2016 in line with the resumption of peace negotiations under the administration of former president Rodrigo R. Duterte.

However, after the collapse of the peace talks in 2017, they refused to surrender and went back into hiding.

On Nov. 27, 2020, the two were convicted for the kidnapping and serious illegal detention of Lt. Abraham Claro Casis and three other soldiers in Quezon in 1988 and sentenced to up to 40 years in prison. (PNA)

 

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