Captured CPP leader tagged in Cagayan Rep. Aguinaldo's slay

GAMU, Isabela – The military has tagged a ranking leader of the Communist Party of the Philippines’ Northeast Luzon Regional Party Committee who was captured in Cainta, Rizal last week, in the killing of Cagayan congressman Rodolfo Aguinaldo seven years ago.

Besides the Aguinaldo killing, the Army said CPP leader Randy Malayao, 38, is also being investigated for the ambush of soldiers in San Mariano town; the killing of barangay chairman Nicholas Collado, also in San Mariano; the liquidation of Army personnel in Ilagan town; and the slay of businessman Benjamin Olalia Jr., also in Ilagan.

The Army’s 5th Infantry Division based at Camp Melchor de la Cruz here, which was responsible for Malayao’s arrest, formally turned him over to the custody of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group after presenting him to the media Tuesday.

In a statement, the National Democratic Front-Cagayan Valley accused the military of “abducting” Malayao, who it said was “unarmed” and had a safe conduct pass as the movement’s political consultant.

Maj. Gen. Melchor Dilodilo, 5th ID chief, said Malayao was nabbed by virtue of arrest warrants for two counts of murder and frustrated murder issued by the Tuguegarao City (Cagayan) regional trial court.

Malayao also has a pending criminal case before the Ilagan (Isabela) RTC.
According to the Army, Malayao, an active student leader at the University of the Philippines, used the nom de guerre Salvador del Pueblo as the NDF’s Cagayan Valley spokesman.

Malayao, also known as Panyo, Tonyo, James or Edu in the underground movement, also heads the regional education department of the NLRPC, formerly known as the Cagayan Valley Regional Party Committee, the Army said.

“The capture of Malayao is a big blow to the communist terrorist organization, further derailing their plans and hostile actions. It also denotes that they are on the run and lacks (people’s) support, leaving them with no capable cadres to stand by their organization,” Dilodilo said. – CL