The Philippines' top communist rebel leader and his wife have been arrested in a joint operation by the military and police.
Benito Tiamzon, chairman of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), and his wife Wilma, the party's secretary general, were nabbed in the central province of Cebu, General Emmanuel Bautista said.
"The arrest of Benito and Wilma Tiamzon is another victory for the combined efforts between the military, police and other stakeholders in pursuit of peace and security," he said.
The couple were arrested just one week before the 45th founding anniversary of the CPP's armed wing, the New People's Army, on March 29.
Bautista said the couple were arrested based on a court warrant for such crimes as murder and attempted murder. But he did not give details on the circumstances of the operation.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
In 2012, the government offered a 5.6-million-peso ($A137,000) reward for Benito Tiamzon's arrest.
Netherlands-based communist rebel leaders condemned the arrest and demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the couple.
Luis Jalandoni, chief rebel negotiator based in Utrecht, noted that the Tiamzons are covered by a 1995 safety and immunity agreement because they are consultants to peace talks with the government.
He said the arrest was a "flagrant violation" of the agreement and "most seriously prejudices the peace negotiations", which have been suspended since 2004.
The communist rebels have been fighting the Philippine government since the late 1960s, making the movement one of the longest-running leftist insurgencies in Asia.
Efforts to resume peace negotiations with the guerillas have been stalled by rebel demands for the government to release members arrested for various criminal cases in court.
