Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 23)— The Army on Tuesday called off the search and retrieval operations involving a boat explosion in Samar that reportedly killed National Democratic Front (NDF) peace consultants Benito Tiamzon and his wife Wilma Austria-Tiamzon.
Bad weather prompted the Army to end the search for passengers of the boat that exploded in waters off Catbalogan City, Samar on Monday.
The Army’s 8th Infantry Division said troops did not find the bodies of the Tiamzons, and there was no clear proof of the couple’s presence in the boat.
“Nakabalik na ‘yung tropa, wala na sila talagang makuha eh,” Maj. Gen. Edgardo De Leon, the division commander, told reporters.
[Translation: The troops have returned and they did not find anyone.]
He also said it was not clear if the Tiamzons were among the passengers since their reported presence was only based on a tip and intelligence units cannot even present photos.
“It appears that the operating units assumed that those onboard the motor boat were the Tiamzons based on the tipster’s description that they were VIPs. Ang information is not actually the mag-asawa. Hindi pinangalanan eh. It’s ranking personalities — VIPs,” he told defense reporters.
[Translation: The information did not specifically refer to the couple. They were not named. They were just referred to as ranking personalities — VIPs.]
De Leon added they are also puzzled why the motorized boat exploded as it was being pursued by government troops. He said the Army is looking at the possibilities that the blast may have been self-inflicted or an accident.
The Tiamzons, who were tagged by the Anti-Terrorism Council as “terrorists,” are considered fugitives. A Quezon City court sentenced them to up to 40 years imprisonment in November 2020 for the kidnapping of four Army lieutenants in 1988.
The couple walked free in August 2016 after being allowed to post bail to attend the peace negotiations in Oslo, Norway as consultants of the NDF.
The NDF represents rebels in peace talks with the government to end the five-decade insurgency waged by the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People’s Army.
The Tiamzons were ordered rearrested in 2018 when then President Rodrigo Duterte terminated the peace talks after the rebels and government forces accused each other of ceasefire violations.
