One of the dogs that were left behind the CPP-NPA leaders at their safehouse in Brgy. Sangi San Fernando Cebu. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/CDN
CEBU CITY, Philippines—Benito, Wilma and Joma have been set free.
No, they are not the top leaders of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).
They are the two dogs and a cat that were placed in military custody after the arrest of their owners—Benito and Wilma Tiamzon, CPP-NPA chair and finance officer, respectively—in Cebu last week.
The soldiers who were taking care of the animals at the Armed Forces Central Command named the two male dogs “Benito” and “Joma” and the female cat “Wilma,” after their owners and CPP-NPA founding chair Jose Maria Sison.
The two dogs and cat were with the Tiamzons and five others when they were arrested in two separate vehicles at a checkpoint in Aloguinsan, Cebu, on March 22.
The Centcom decided to release the pets to an animal welfare group in Cebu despite an earlier pronouncement by their chief, Maj. Gen. John Bonafos, that the military was willing to adopt them.
Lt. Jim Aris Alagao, Centcom information officer, said they decided to turn over the pets to the Island Rescue Organization (IRO) since the latter was more capable of taking care of the animals.
“They can look after them better since they have more experience than us,” he said.
The IRO is a Cebu-based nongovernment organization that helps abused, maltreated and neglected animals.
Alagao said Nina Hernandez, IRO founder and executive officer, called him up to ask if they could donate food for the animals.
He then asked her if their group would be willing to take care of them. She agreed.
On Friday, Alagao turned the pets over to Hernandez.
Four other pets of the rebel leaders—two dogs and two cats that were left in their safe house in San Fernando town in southern Cebu—would also be turned over to the IRO.
Hernandez told the Inquirer the names of the two dogs were actually “Nimbus” and “Moshi” while the cat was “Goji.”
Hernandez said in a phone interview she had talked to Ian Manticajon, lawyer of the Tiamzons, about the temporary custody of their pets.
“They (Tiamzons) were very appreciative that we took temporary custody of their animals,”she said.
Hernandez said the pets were “well taken care”of and “well-groomed.”
She added they were working to get a permit to enter the Tiamzon’s safe house in San Fernando so they could get their four other pets.
Reached for comment, Manticajon of the National Union of People’s Lawyers said the animals were not owned by the Tiamzons but by Rex Villaflor and his wife, Lorraine, and Arlene Panea who were arrested with the CPP-NPA leaders last week.
He said the Villaflors and Panea authorized him and Manila-based Rachel Pastores of the Public Interest Law Center to facilitate the temporary care of their pets.
In the handwritten authorization letter dated March 28, the three said three dogs and four cats were in the custody of Centcom.
The cats were Goji, Hatdu, Champoy and Pandoy. The dogs were Nimbus, Charcoal and Moshi—all mix Shih Tzu-Dachshund puppies.
Four other pets were left in their home in San Fernando, the letter said.
“We further authorize our lawyers to facilitate the release of our pets from Centcom Cebu’s custody and talk to IRO for possible transfer, care and custody (of the pets),” the letter said.
Manticajon said they would have to trace the other pets.—With a report from Connie E. Fernandez, Inquirer Visayas
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