By DAVE SUAN ALBARADO
A former senior official of the Communist Party of the Philippines and his wife surrendered to PH gov’t authorities in the province of Bohol this week, the latest in a series of defections from the decades-old insurgency.
Roy Erecre, 52, described by officials as a former peace consultant for the National Democratic Front of the Philippines in the Visayas region, and his wife Judith Jaron, 48, a regional party officer, took an oath of surrender before Bohol Governor Aris Aumentado at the provincial capitol.
The surrender comes as the Philippine government intensifies efforts to end one of Asia’s longest-running communist insurgencies through a combination of military pressure and local amnesty programs.
Erecre told reporters he decided to surrender to seek amnesty and because he trusted the governor’s administration, citing historical ties dating to peace negotiations brokered by the governor’s late father, former Governor Erico Boyles Aumentado.
“It’s about time to give ourselves up for good,” Erecre said, adding that he learned of the creation of a Local Amnesty Board headed by the governor.
He and his wife are expected to apply for amnesty and receive safe conduct passes.
The CPP and its armed wing, the New People’s Army, have been waging a Maoist-inspired insurgency since 1969 that has killed more than 40,000 people.
The movement has weakened in recent years due to military operations and surrenders.
Erecre said he and his wife had been in hiding since 2017 with no contact with former comrades, and expressed confidence they would not face retaliation for surrendering.
He was arrested in Davao City in May 2014 on charges including robbery and frustrated murder related to alleged rebel activities in Bohol in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Erecre claimed his detention violated security guarantees agreed during peace talks and was released on bail four months later.
The surrender was witnessed by provincial officials and representatives of the government’s anti-insurgency task force.
The national government dissolved formal peace negotiations with communist rebels in 2019, instead pursuing localized peace talks and offering amnesty programs through provincial governments.
Erecre, who was also known by his aliases “Toto” and “Pasyong,” was identified by government security forces as a high-ranking official within the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).
At the time of his capture years ago, he served as the secretary general of the Central Visayas Regional Committee and was an alternate member of the CPP’s Central Committee.
His position implicated him in significant organizational and tactical leadership for the insurgent movement in the region.
The government successfully apprehended Erecre on May 7, 2014, in Davao City following a week-long surveillance operation by a joint police and military team.
His arrest, considered a major gain for counter-insurgency efforts, was backed by a substantial P5.4 million reward for his capture.
He was taken into custody under the strength of several non-bailable warrants, primarily for criminal offenses committed across the Visayas region.
The specific crimes cited in the warrants included frustrated murder, issued by a Regional Trial Court in San Carlos City, Negros Oriental, and robbery in band, issued by a Municipal Circuit Trial Court in Bilar, Bohol.
Furthermore, authorities linked Erecre to a history of violence against state forces and civilians in Central Visayas, including the high-profile ambush-slaying of two military officers in Carmen, Bohol in 1999.
In contrast, the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) disputed the legality of his arrest, asserting that Erecre was a recognized peace consultant whose detention violated the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) protecting negotiators during peace talks.
After his initial commitment to the Bohol District Jail, the status of his detention changed.
In September 2014, reports indicated that Erecre was released from custody with the help of then 2nd District Bohol Cong. Aris Aumentado.
He was granted bail by a court for the rebellion case he was facing.