NDF consultant, wife arrested over murder, attempted murder charges

A National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) consultant and his wife were arrested in Cavite early Friday in connection with the murder and attempted murder charges they are facing in Davao Oriental.

Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-National Capital Region (CIDG NCR) Director Superintendent Alberto Ibay identified the suspects as Rey Claro Casambre and his wife Patricia.

The two were arrested in Molino, Bacoor at dawn, according to Jonathan Andal's report on Dobol B sa News TV.

Ibay said the arrest has nothing to do with Casambre being an NDFP consultant.

The NDFP is the political wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines.

Police reports said Casambre has a verified warrant of arrest for murder and two counts of attempted murder dated November 23, 2018, issued by Presiding Judge Emilio Dayanghirang III of RTC 11th Judicial Region, Branch 32, Lupon, Davao Oriental.

The police said recovered from the suspects were:

• one (1) Colt Commander Cal. 45 pistol
• one (1) Magazine for Cal. 45
• seven (7) Live Ammunition for Cal. 45
• one (1) Bundle Electric Detonating Cord
• one (1) Fragmentation Grenade
• two (2) Cellphones
• one (1) Macbook Laptop
• six thousand pesos cash (P6,000.00)
• one (1) Unit Toyota Altis (Silver) with plate number XKS 821

The couple are now detained at the CIDG-NCR in Camp Crame.

'Treacherous, baseless'

For Edre Olalia, a legal consultant for the NDFP negotiating panel, the Casambres' "treacherous" and "baseless" arrest proves that the government "cannot be trusted" and is "the number one violator of the most basic rights."

"As usual...the non-bailable murder charges are trumped-up and sprang out of nowhere," Olalia said in a statement, blasting the "planting" of evidence to make the arrest look "aboveboard."

"Nobody would ever believe such false narrative," he said, explaining that Rey is a known peace consultant and advocate while his wife is a translator with the Philippine Peace Center, where Rey is executive director.

The spouses are also covered by the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guidelines, Olalia said, and therefore should not have been "surveilled, harassed and arrested for an indubitably manufactured case."

"Their arrest is another signal that the security forces are playing hard ball and are on a wild goose chase. But all those would boomerang in the long run," he said.

Olalia is also the president of the National Union of People's Lawyers.

—Jamil Santos, Nicole-Anne Lagrimas/KBK, LDF, GMA News