MANILA – The Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) on Friday sentenced two ranking leaders of the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army – National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) to up to 40 years imprisonment for the abduction and more than two-month detention of military personnel who were on furlough in 1988.
In a 19-page decision, RTC Branch 216 Judge Alfonso Cruz II found Benito Tiamzon and his wife, Wilma Austria-Tiamzon, guilty of kidnapping and serious illegal detention and sentenced them to “reclusion perpetua”, which spans 20 to 40 years in prison.
They were also ordered to pay the complainant, Lt. Abraham Claro Casis, a total of PHP225,000 in civil indemnity and damages.
The Tiamzon couple was granted bail on Aug. 15, 2016 to attend and participate in a formal peace negotiation in Oslo, Norway.
Both have since failed to appear in court even after the peace negotiations collapsed, their bails canceled, and warrants for their arrest were issued on Aug. 29, 2018.
The Tiamzon couple is also facing multiple murder charges before the Manila RTC over the alleged 1985 purge in Leyte of communist rebels suspected of being military informants, known as the Inopacan massacre.
The complaint stemmed from the discovery of a mass grave in Leyte containing alleged victims of the purge.
The CPP-NPA-NDF is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.
Casis, in 1988, was a member of the Philippine Army’s 2nd Infantry Division, 42nd Infantry Battalion, Charlie Company stationed in Macalelon, Quezon at the time of his abduction.
He testified that while on rest and recreation leave, he was supposed to travel to Manila to attend a wedding on June 1, 1988 with three other men, Lt. Clarito Santos, Lt. Oscar Singson, and Lt. Rommel Salamanca.
They were in a private car when they were flagged down when they reached the Magnolia Farms somewhere along the boundary of the municipalities of Tiaong and Candelaria by armed men manning a checkpoint who identified themselves as NPA regulars.
They were then moved, first by motor vehicle, and later marched to a house.
At this time, they were joined by another captured military personnel, Sgt. John Jacob, of the now-defunct Philippine Constabulary.
The march continued during daytime from June 1 to 16 until they reached a shoreline where they were made to board a boat for a four-hour trip until they arrived at their destination, referred to as the NPA-controlled Molave Detention Center in the middle of mountains.
They were then placed in wooden cells with plastic roofing.
The area, the complainant said, was manned by at least 30 NPA rebels.
On August 12, they left the Molave Detention Center and were brought to Barangay Mamala, Sariaya, Quezon where they were formally released by the late Gregorio Rosal, also known as “Ka Roger”.
During his time in the Molave Detention Cell, Casis said he witnessed Benito, known as “Ka Goryo”, and Wilma, known as “Ka Cipring”, in regular meetings with media personnel and other officials of the communist-terrorist group, such as Ka Roger, a certain Ka Hector, and Tirso “Ka Bart” Alcantara, who identified himself as field commander.
“The members of the organization, including the accused, conspired to commit the crime charged. Thus, they are responsible for everything done by their confederates, in view of the conspiracy, and considering that the accused appear to be actually the ones who run the organization,” the court said.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra called the decision a welcome development.
“It’s a victory for the prosecution, so as secretary of justice, I am happy about the outcome of the trial,” Guevarra said in a message to newsmen.