A FATHER'S DAY STORY: Arrest of Jaguar 8 reunites Elmer Espina with his long-lost daughter

by Mau Chaeyoung

BUNAWAN, AGUSAN DEL SUR — While many others celebrated this year’s Father’s Day with laughter and gifts, for Elmer Espina, the day held a much deeper meaning. This year, it was a day of reunion, redemption, and a renewed dream for his daughter.

Who would have imagined that the news of his daughter’s arrest would bring Elmer a sense of relief, even joy? His daughter, Louvaine Erika Espina, also known as “Ka Pam,” was among the Jaguar 8, or the eight members of the New People’s Army in Southern Mindanao, apprehended on June 13, 2025, at a joint police and military checkpoint in Bunawan, Agusan del Sur.

Soft-spoken Elmer had lived through nearly seven years of heartbreak and uncertainty after losing contact with his youngest daughter in 2018.

“Noong 2018, habang nag-aaral si Louvaine sa PUP, may dinadala na siyang mga kaibigan sa bahay,” Elmer recalled. “Inaasahan naming mga kaklase niya lang 'yon. Pero Disyembre, bigla na lang siyang nawala.”

Beginning of a nightmare

That month marked the beginning of a long nightmare for any parent. Unbeknownst to the family, Louvaine had already been recruited into the underground organization Kabataang Makabayan (KM) by fellow youth members of activist groups Anakbayan and Gabriela Youth. Worse, she had already committed to what she called "the highest form of service to the people."

“Ayun pala, pinaakyat na siya sa bundok ng mga kabataan ding dinala niya sa bahay,” he added.

In the years that followed, the Espina family endured quiet suffering. Elmer, then juggling work as a security guard and silk screen artist, gave up his job, burdened by grief. His wife, a school teacher, carried on — but the weight of their daughter's absence was immense.

Desperate for answers, the family made several trips across Mindanao in search of Louvaine. Each journey was marked by fear — but they held on to hope.

“Matapos umalis si Louvaine, naging malubha ang paghihirap ng aming pamilya. Ako na mismo ang nagsakripisyo. Hanggang sa namatay na lang sa sakit ang ate ni Louvaine at ang lolo niya — hindi man lang niya nasilayan,” Elmer said.

Turning point

On June 13, 2025, a turning point came. Louvaine, one of eight members of the NPA known as the “Jaguar 8,” was arrested in Bunawan Brooke and San Teodoro in Bunawan, Agusan del Sur, and placed under government custody.

Kontra Kwento was among the first to break the news of the arrest. In a special report, several high-ranking former rebels confirmed to Kontra Kwento that those apprehended were in fact cadres of the CPP and NPA. The report stated that "the recent arrest has effectively wiped out the NPA's armed presence in the [Southern Mindanao] region."

However, several national democratic organizations misrepresented the Jaguar 8 as mere “activists.” In its statement denouncing the arrest, Karapatan Southern Mindanao said, “...a de facto martial law is being enforced — militarizing communities, silencing dissent, and illegally arresting civilians, activists, and human rights defenders, as seen in the case of the Agusan 8.”

Karapatan SMR misrepresented the 8 arrested NPA members, including Elmer Espina's daughter Louvaine (second from top left) and Charise Bañez (third from top left) as civilian activists.

ONE ARRESTED, ONE KILLED, AND ONE RESCUED. (From left) National democratic activists-turned CPP-NPA cadres Bañez (arrested on June 13, 2025), Kaliska Peralta (killed in an encounter in April 10, 2024) and Arian Jane Ramos (arrested but later surrendered in August 2021).

But for Elmer, his daughter's arrest was not a tragedy, but a new beginning. “Finally, naging worth it lahat ng paghahanap,” he said.

Just days after the arrest, Elmer, his wife, and Louvaine’s grandmother were able to visit her at the Bunawan Municipal Police Station. “Sa kabila ng lahat ng dinanas naming pasakit, nabuhay muli ang pag-asa. Walang katumbas ang ligaya na nahagkan ko ulit ang aming bunso,” Elmer shared.

From their conversations, Elmer says he feels Louvaine wants to rebuild her life. “She says she wants to complete a Nursing degree, a vocation she discovered and loved while in the NPA. We, as parents, are standing firmly behind her. Basta huwag lang sa NPA,” he chuckled.

“Bilang mga magulang, andito kami para alalayan siya. Gusto naming maibalik sa kanya ang isang payapa at normal na buhay — yung buhay na ipinagkait sa kanya ng CPP-NPA-NDF,” Elmer declared. “Bilang ama, ito ang regalo ko sa kanya ngayong Father’s Day: ang panibagong pag-asa.”

As families around the country celebrated the occasion, Elmer Espina’s story is a powerful reminder that a father’s love endures all — even across lost years, broken dreams, and distant mountains in between.