MANILA, Philippines – A sister of Commission on Higher Education (CHED) chairperson Prospero de Vera III was arrested by the police for alleged murder charges.

A family member of Adora Faye de Vera, 67, confirmed to Rappler the relationship of Adora to the CHED chairperson. Adora is the older sister of Prospero. 

During a press briefing on Thursday, August 25, Philippine National Police chief General Rodolfo Azurin Jr. announced the arrest of Adora and tagged her as a “ranking officer” of a communist group. 

“I am pleased to announce the capture of another ranking officer of the communist terrorist group operating in Western Visayas who is wanted by the Court to stand trial for the crime of multiple murder,” Azurin said. 

Prospero previously served as an adviser of the Philippine negotiating panel with the CPP-NPA-NDF under the former president Rodrigo Duterte’s administration. He was appointed in 2016 by Duterte after teaching at the University of the Philippines-Diliman’s National College of Public Administration and Governance.

According to Azurin, intelligence operatives from Western Visayas regional police, with cops from National Capital Region Police Office and the Quezon City Police District, arrested Adora on Wednesday at around 2:40 pm. She was apprehended in Maalalahanin Street, Teachers Village East in Quezon City through a warrant issued by Judge Guilljie Delfin Lim of Iloilo City’s Regional Trial Court Branch 22. 

Adora is now under the custody of Calinog municipal police in Iloilo. A report from the Western Visayas regional police said the arrested is a resident of Barangay Roosevelt, Tapaz in Capiz.

According to Azurin, Adora faces charges for “multiple murder and multiple frustrated murder with the use of explosives.” The PNP chief added the suspect also faces a “separate criminal case for the crime of rebellion.”

Western Visayas regional police said Adora’s criminal case number is 06-62230, dated March 10, 2006. In their report, the regional police said Adroa’s case stemmed from an alleged ambush incident on November 19, 2005, where nine Army scout rangers were allegedly killed and 20 others were wounded.

The PNP chief claimed that Adora is allegedly a staff officer of Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front’s (CPP-NPA-NDF) general command. She is also allegedly the secretary of the Central Front of CPP-NPA Regional Committee – Panay and wife of CPP-NPA Central Committee member Jessie Lipura. 

Adora was part of “communist terrorist group personalities with reward” listed down by local police, incuding Antique provincial police.

Adora, a Martial Law survivor

Adora was born in Pangasinan and finished her secondary education at the Philippine Science High School, according to Martial Law Files. She later entered the University of the Philippines.

According to an issue titled “Filipino Women in Struggle” by the Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TDFP), Adora was arrested at least twice under the regime of dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos in 1976 and in 1983.

On her first arrest from October 1, 1976 to June 31, 1977, De Vera was raped and was subjected to “various sexual indignities,” according to the TDFP. Her body parts were also burned by cigarettes, particularly her toenails and fingernails.

Seven years later, when she already had two children, Adora was arrested again on October 27, 1983. This time, TDFP said she was shot on her leg and taken under military custody.

2. #RememberingAdoraFaye #NeverForget #MarcosNotAHero #MarcosDemonyohttps://t.co/dYgxT378ta pic.twitter.com/WHQIWRpT0J

— Banash Daily 💚🌷 (@BIENsays) September 27, 2020

Adora was among the 10 plaintiffs who filed a class action suit against late dictator Marcos in the US on April 7, 1986. The plaintiffs invoked the Alien Torts Act in filing the class action suit, which gives survivors “of egregious human rights abuses, wherever committed, the right to sue the perpetrators in the United States.”

Prospero’s response 

In a statement released late on Thursday, the CHED chairperson distanced himself from the arrest and even reiterated his stand against communist insurgency.

“I do not share her views nor support her actions,” the CHED chairperson said. 

“I fully support the administration of President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, Jr. in its efforts to end the communist insurgency that has destroyed so many lives and property. I will let the law take its course in resolving the charges against her,” he added.

The CHED chair added that he “hopes and prays” for Adora’s safety while the latter is under detention. He said he had not spoken to his sister for over two decades. 

“I have not seen her and I have not spoken to her for more than 25 years since she decided to rejoin the underground movement,” he said.  – Rappler.com