Eric John Casilao, touted as the most wanted New People’s Army (NPA) leader from Mindanao, was arrested in Malaysia on April 1 and brought to Davao City on Monday afternoon where he was turned over to police custody.
Casilao a.k.a. Elian/Wally/Chan/Kuya, alleged secretary of the Southern Mindanao Regional Committee (SMRC) and Central Committee member of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), Communist Terrorist Group (CTG), was apprehended at Jeti Point International Clearance Gate, Langkawi, Malaysia on April 1, 2023 through a joint law enforcement operation of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), Bureau of Immigration, and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) with the Royal Malaysian Police (RMP) and Malaysian Immigration.
In a press statement shared to the media, Major Mark Anthony S. Tito of the public affairs office of the 10th Infantry Division, bared that Casilao was apprehended while boarding a ferry bound for Koh Lipe, Thailand.
The statement also stated that Casilao was put on the Malaysian Red Notice List for falsification of passport by assuming fake identity and after his arrest, he was detained for violating Malaysian Immigration laws and deported to the Philippines on April 17, 2023.
Casilao is labeled by the military as the top-ranking NPA leader of the Southern Mindanao Regional (SMR) Committee. He is accused of allegedly killing and burying a fellow rebel fighter in a remote village in New Bataan, Davao de Oro in April 2022.
Tito mentioned that Casilao has existing warrants of arrest for the crimes of murder, kidnapping, serious illegal detention, and attempted murder.
Casilao arrived in Davao City at around 2 p.m. and was directly brought to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) office at the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) for processing.
“We make sure na ang process ay nagawa natin like reading of the warrants of arrest. Initially nagkaroon na ng medical check-up sa kanya to make sure na okay ang kanyang condition at walang mangyaring masama sa kanya,” said Lt. Col. Michael John Mangahis, officer-in-charge of Criminal Investigation and Detection Group 11 (CIDG 11) in an interview.
Meanwhile, Major General Jose Eriel Niembra, 10ID commander, vowed that CTG leaders have no safe place to stay and hide, even outside the country.
“The government is determined to capture CTG leaders and terrorists wherever they are,” MGen Niembra said in his message.
