Authorities looking for more insurgents’ Cebu safe houses

CEBU, Philippines - Although they have already made a great accomplishment by capturing two top rebel leaders, authorities are still scouring Cebu for the possibility of other safe houses of Benito Tiamzon and his wife Wilma.

Benito, the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army chairman, and Wilma, the CPP-NPA secretary-general, were arrested last March 22 for murder and attempted murder.

They were renting a house in Sangat, San Fernando town, but Supt. Fermin Armendarez, III, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-7 deputy chief, said they are not discounting the possibility that there are more houses.

Finding them, he said, is important so  they are currently backtracking on the activities of the couple in the hope of finding clues.

Authorities are likewise checking how long the Tiamzons have already stayed in Cebu and if more high-ranking CPP-NPA officials are also in Cebu. CIDG-7, Armendarez said, is also still trying to contact the caretaker of the San Fernando house for further investigation.

 They are likewise counterchecking the identity of Rex Villaflor, the registered owner of one of two vehicles the Tiamzons were using during their arrest, to determine if he and four others caught with the couple are also rebel members.

Meanwhile, Armendarez said that the owner of the San Fernando house that served as the Tiamzons’ hideout denied knowing that the couple was actually top leaders of CPP-NPA.

He said the man, a certain Johnny, went to their office Wednesday afternoon, and said it was Villaflor and one Nona Castillo who negotiated on behalf of the Tiamzons for the rent of Johnny’s house.  (FREEMAN)