Wilma Tiamzon

Wilma Tiamzon (née Austria; born 21 December 1952) is a Filipino political organizer and until her arrest in March 2014 by Philippine security forces, believed to be the Secretary-General of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the New People's Army (NPA).[2][3]

In this Philippine name for married women, the birth middle name or maternal family name is unknown, the birth surname or paternal family name is Austria, and the marital name is Tiamzon.
Wilma Tiamzon
Born
Wilma Austria

(1952-12-21) December 21, 1952[1]
Pasig, Philippines
NationalityFilipino
Alma materUniversity of the Philippines Diliman
Years active1968 - present
Known forleadership of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army
Spouse(s)Benito Tiamzon

Early education

Tiamzon was a student in the University of the Philippines Diliman during the late 1960s. She was a writer for the Philippine Collegian, the university's student publication.

Career in the Left

Tiamzon had previously served as the finance officer and secretary of the CPP's National Peasant Commission and was secretary of the CPP's National Education Department. She had also been a member of the Regional Trade Union Bureau and a member of CPP-NPA central executive committee.[1]

She was arrested in July 1973 during the years following Ferdinand Marcos' declaration of Martial Law in the Philippines. She was released in 1974.[4] She was again arrested in October 1989 for murder charges but escaped from the detention center in Camp Crame two months later. The Philippine military stated that the CPP-NPA spent ₱2.5 million for her escape.[1]

Tiamzon along with her husband, a fellow senior member of the CPP leadership, and five other persons were arrested by Philippine security forces in Cebu in 2014 during the presidency of Benigno Aquino III; they had been exposed by surveillance since relief operations began in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan the year before. Recovered in their possession were firearms, grenades and ammunition. The Tiamzons were wanted on murder charges as a consequence for their alleged involvement in the deaths of fifteen civilians whose remains were discovered in a mass grave in Inopacan, Leyte in 2006.[3] They were released from detention in August 2016 upon the order of President Rodrigo Duterte as they were designated representatives of the National Democratic Front to the peace talks with the Government of the Philippines to be held in Oslo, Norway.[5] Duterte announced that peace negotiations would no longer be undertaken in February 2017 and that he expected the NDF representatives, including the Tiamzons to "on their own… return and go back to prison."[6]

Personal life

Wilma is married to Benito Tiamzon, the Chairman of the CPP-NPA. They have been married since 1973 and have two children, Liza and Alex, and six grandchildren.[4]

See also

References
  1. Marcelo, Elizabeth (25 March 2014). "Armed Forces factsheet chronicles Tiamzons rise to top of CPP-NPA". GMA News. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  2. "CPP chief, wife nabbed in Cebu – military". Rappler. 22 March 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  3. "Top NPA Leaders Arrested for 15 Counts of Murder". Armed Forces of the Philippines. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  4. Nazareno, Rocky (6 November 2016). "The most dangerous couple in the Philippines". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  5. Marcelo, Elizabeth (19 August 2016). "CPP leaders Benito and Wilma Tiamzon thank Duterte for release". GMA News. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  6. Capistrano, Zia Io Ming C. (5 February 2017). "Duterte wants Leftist negotiators back in prison". Davao Today. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
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