P5.4 million bounty for ‘new’ CPP-KomMid head
SRC-5, Mindanao’s ‘most advanced’ unit under SMRPC, collapses, finally
THE government is offering a P5.4 million reward for the neutralization, dead or alive, of the successor to Menandro ‘Ka Bok’ Villanueva, the highest official of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) in the entire island of Mindanao, who was killed in a focus military operation in Davao de Oro (formerly Compostela Valley) last January 5, 2022.
M/General Ernesto ‘Jun’ Torres, commander of the 10TH Infantry ‘Agila’ Division, said the reward pertains to Eric/Jun Casilao, who had just replaced Villanueva as the secretary of the Southern Mindanao Regional Party Committee (SMRPC), the only remaining ‘strongest’ CPP branch in the country.
Casilao is a brother of former congressman, Ariel ‘Ayik’ Casilao, of the ‘Anakpawis’ partylist, a known CPP front in Congress.
(On April 19, 2020, the former lawmaker was arrested in Bulacan and charged by the police with usurpation of authority for still claiming he was a sitting congressman of Anakpawis when his term of office actually ended in 2019).
Aside from the government reward, Davao del Norte governor, Eric Hubahib, in a joint press conference with the military on Monday, January 17, 2022, said he would also “give” Casilao P1 million should he decided to voluntary surrender and a separate P500,000 to anyone who can convince the terrorist leader to surrender.
To help the public identify Casilao, Torres said that with the help of the Philippine National Police (PNP), they managed to come out with his composite sketch that is “99.9 percent accurate” as regards his facial features, based on confirmation made former CPP cadres who had personally met Casilao and Villanueva.
Torres noted that in the case of Villanueva, they also distributed his composite sketch in Davao de Oro and nearby areas that also contained his P5.6 million government reward. Villanueva’s sketch, he added, greatly aided the civilians in identifying Villanueva that eventually led to the encounter that resulted to his death.
During Monday’s press conference, Eastern Mindanao (Eastmincom) area commander, Lt. General Greg T. Almerol, personally handed the initial P1.5 million cash reward to the civilian who provided them with information on Villanueva’s location.
Aside from the P5.6 million reward from the military, Torres said that a separate P2 million cash reward would be given to the informant from Pres. Duterte.
Last January 7, 2022, Capt. Robert Escalona, 1001st Brigade civil-military officer (CMO), confirmed that Villanueva’s children arrived from Cavite to reclaim the body of their father whom they had not seen for more than 20 years.
“They said they heard the news about his death and they decided to go to Davao de Oro to make sure if it is really their father,” he said.
Escalona assured them that they took care of the body of Villanueva, and did not immediately bury him to give ample time for his family to claim his body and pay their final respects.
“We took care of him because like us, he is also human despite having a different principle. In fact, after the encounter, we tried our best to save Villanueva but unfortunately, he was declared dead on arrival at the hospital,” Escalona added.
‘Next in line’
The military said that if Villanueva was being groomed as the ‘next’ CPP chair, as he was holding top positions in the CPP hierarchy—national commander and one of the founders of the NPA, member, Central Committee and its Politburo and CPP secretary of KomMid (Komisyon Mindanao)—Casilao, for his part, is also being ‘groomed’ to succeed Villanueva at KomMid, the CPP’s highest political organ in Mindanao.
While Villanueva, 70, spent some 50 years of his life in building up the CPP-NPA in Mindanao and elsewhere, Casilao, 46 has now spent more than 20 years of his life inside the terrorist movement; he had just replaced Villanueva as secretary of the SMRPC.
At a press conference last January 10, 2022, B/Gen. Jesus Durante of the 1001st Brigade that neutralized Villanueva, stressed that Casilao, like his fallen predecessor, is not a hero but a “criminal.”
Official records show that Casilao is wanted for 2 counts of murder, kidnapping and serious illegal detention.
Collapse of SMRPC to follow?
During Monday’s press conference, Torres also announced that 5 days after Villanueva’s death, the entire leadership of the SMRPC’s “most advanced unit,” SRC-5 (Sub-Regional Committee), along with its main guerilla unit, SRGU), decided to surrender to the 1003rd Brigade under Col. Consolito P Yecla, in two batches, on January 10, 2022 and on January 13, 2022.
Yecla said the surrender took place at Sitio Minalong, Bgy. Kahusayan, Kitaotao, Bukidnon.
“The entire leadership of the Headquarters SRC5, SMRC, and its Sub-Regional Guerilla Unit (SRGU) surrendered to 1003rd Infantry Brigade,” the military said.
The 12 ‘surrenderees’ include:
Ida Marie Montero alias MANDY (PSRL 4Q21), Secretary, SRC5, SMRC; Member, KT/KH, SMRC; and Finance Officer, SRC5, SRMC; Renato Lubguban alias JOSE (PSRL 4Q21) – Deputy Secretary, SRC5, SMRC; and CO, Sub-Regional Operational Command, SRC5, SRMC; Lito Taluwa alias LITO (PSRL 4Q21) – Acting CO, SRGU, SRC5; Enrico Caramat alias MARCO (PSRL 4Q21) – Political Instructor, SRGU, SRC5;
Rudy Saballa alias EGOR (PSRL 4Q21) – Military Adviser, SRGU, SRC5; and former CO, Dismantled GF56, SRC5; Lauret Tumbasay alias WENA (PSRL 4Q21) – Medic, SRGU, SRC5, SMRC;
Claudia Balite alias CLAUDIA (PSRL 4Q21) – Political Guide, SRGU, SRC5, SMRC; Analisa Panduma alias ANALIZA (PSRL 4Q21) – Supply Officer, SRGU, SRC5, SMRC; Gerome Chucas alias ROB (PSRL 4Q21) – Team Leader, SRGU, SRC5, SMRC; Dioneng Mansugal @BANSILAN (NPSR) – Milisyang Bayan; Catalino Mansugal @WOLOK (NPSR) – Milisyang Bayan; and, Simo Mansugal @BATUGAL (NPSR) – Milisyang Bayan.
The group brought with them 9 high-powered firearms and two .45 caliber pistols as well as assorted war materiel, Torres added.
According to Montero, during the initial interview, “Game over na kami, sir.” (It’s game over for us, sir.)
“Indeed, our efforts against the CPP-NPA in Southern Mindanao is at its endgame,” said Torres, also a former spokesman of the AFP.
“Again, I am calling on the remaining deceived members of the Communist Terrorist Group to lay down your arms, return to the folds of the law and live a peaceful life,” he added.
Torres said that before Pres. Duterte won in 2016, SRC-5 alone has 3 guerilla fronts– GF 54, 55, and 56 and one SRGU, that also decided to surrender.
Last year, some 2,000 CPP-NPA cadres, members and supporters in Southern Mindanao had surrendered to the government that left the SMRPC totally weakened with only 4 remaining guerilla fronts and one SRGU.
This was a far cry in 2016 when the SMRPC had 14 guerilla fronts and 6 SRGUs, Torres added.
