Former National Democratic Front (NDF) consultant Roy Erecre, who once served as secretary of the Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor (NCBS) regional committee of the New People’s Army (NPA), has formally surrendered to the government, marking an end to decades of involvement in the communist insurgency.
On Thursday, Erecre, 61, together with his partner Judith Jaron, took their oath of allegiance before Governor Erico Aristotle ‘Aris’ Aumentado at the Bohol Provincial Capitol, signifying their complete renunciation of the armed movement.
Aumentado lauded Erecre’s decision, describing it as a ‘courageous and meaningful step toward peace, reconciliation, and lasting progress in the province and beyond.’
Erecre had earlier carried a P5.4 million bounty on his capture. He was arrested on May 7, 2014, in Barangay Bajada, Davao City, by authorities implementing two warrants-one for robbery in a band in Bohol and another for frustrated murder in Negros Occidental. He was reportedly responsible for several atrocities in Central Visayas, including the 1999 ambush-slaying of two military officers in Carmen, Bohol.
He was detained at the Bohol District Jail (BDJ) but was released by court order on September 19, 2014. His partner, Jaron, was also taken into custody at that time pending investigation into her alleged involvement with the rebel movement.
Erecre said he had long observed the government’s peace and development efforts and decided to return to the fold of the law after seeing genuine governance under Aumentado’s administration.
‘The biggest factor in my surrender is my trust in Governor Aris,’ Erecre said in Cebuano. ‘My trust in him comes from the good leadership of his father.’
Provincial officials said Erecre and Jaron will undergo the necessary legal processes under the Local Amnesty Program facilitated by the National Amnesty Commission’s Local Amnesty Board as part of their reintegration into mainstream society.