MANILA, Philippines (Corrected 12:39 p.m.) —A woman identified as the regional party secretary of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) in Metro Manila, who was arrested at a condominium in Quezon City on Monday, was allegedly leading the recruitment of students for the communist movement in Metro Manila, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said yesterday.
He claimed that 60-year-old Esterlita Suaybaguio was handpicked by the CPP central committee to revitalize student, youth and labor recruitment activities for Metro Manila.
“She is one example of a CPP-NPA (New People’s Army) leader masquerading as a peace advocate. She is a party member, NPA rebel yet at the same time an NDF (National Democratic Front) consultant for the failed peace talks,” Año said in a statement.
The police and military arrested Suaybaguio at her safehouse in Escalades Condominum Tower 5 in Cubao, Quezon City. A 9mm pistol, a hand grenade and subversive documents were found in her possession. She was charged with violating Republic Act 10591 for illegal possession of firearms and RA 9516 for illegal possession of an explosive.
According to Año, Suaybaguio was the secretary of the rebel group’s Southern Mindanao Regional Party Committee and Komisyon Mindanao (KOMMID) before she transferred to Metro Manila.
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde said the rebel leader has been staying at the condominium building for two months, renting a unit for at least P30,000 a month.
Karapatan vice chairperson Reylan Vergara said Suaybaguio’s arrest is an example of the government’s militarist campaign to subvert the country’s laws.
Meanwhile, only Bayan Muna chairman Neri Colmenares, Kabataan party-list Rep. Sarah Elago and former Akbayan party-list representative Tomasito Villarin personally appeared in yesterday’s preliminary investigation on the recruitment of student Alicia Jasper Lucena to join Anakbayan.
Six others—Charlie del Rosario, Bianca Gacos, Jayroven Villafuente Balais, Anakbayan president Vencer Crisostomo, Anakbayan national secretary general Einstein Recedes, Anakbayan party-list Rep. Alex Danday—were represented by their lawyers during the hearing conducted by Assistant State Prosecutor Christine Perolino.
(Editor's note: An earlier version of this article reported that Suaybaguio was identified as secretary general of the CPP-NPA. This has been corrected to reflect that she is allegedly regional party secretary of the CPP-NPA in Metro Manila.)