communist group DOUBTS NOY GOVT'S SINCERITY IN PURSUING PEACE TALKS
MANILA, MAY 30, 2011 (TRIBUNE) The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) has questioned the sincerity of President Aquino's administration in pursuing peace with the communist group, citing the government's failure to release NDFP consultants as committed by its peace panel.
In a statement, NDFP chief negotiator Luis Jalandoni said the continued detention of Alan Jazmines, Tirso "Ka Bart" Alcantara and other NDFP consultants and NDFP personnel protected under the Joint
Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantee (Jasig) puts the Aquino administration's sincerity in question.
Jalandoni stressed that the Government of the Philippines (GPH), through its peace panel, committed itself "to work for the expeditious release of detained NDFP consultants and other Jasig-protected persons in compliance with the Jasig and in the spirit of goodwill."
"Now, more than four months after that commitment was made in the Joint Communique of Jan. 18, 2011, seventeen NDFP consultants and Jasig-protected persons are still detained in GPH prisons," Jalandoni said.
"President Aquino must act decisively to honor solemn GPH commitments so that the peace negotiations can advance. Expeditious release does not mean months of non-compliance and indecision,"Jalandoni said.
Jalandoni said that Jazmines, an appointed by the NDFP national leadership as member of the NDFP Reciprocal Working Committee on Social and Economic Reforms (RWC-SER), is unable to fulfill his crucially important function for the SER negotiations which address the roots of the armed conflict.
"Instead of being released, he has been threatened with forcible transfer by the military," said Jalandoni of Jazmines, who was captured by government security forces early this year in Bulacan province by virtue of arrest warrants issued against him.
On the other hand, Jalandoni said that Alcantara is a known participant of the peace process for the NDFP. He said Alcantara signed the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) certificate for the release of Army Maj. Noel Buan in April 2011.
"The NDFP demands his release in accordance with Jasig because he is publicly known to have participated in the peace process. The release of Major Buan was done to enhance the atmosphere for the peace negotiations, which were resumed in Oslo a few weeks later on April 27, 2001," Jalandoni said.
Alcantara, top NPA leader in Southern Tagalog Region, is presently under hospital arrest at the Army General Hospital in Fort Bonifacio after sustaining gunshot wounds during his arrest in Lucena City last January.
"The continuing failure of the Aquino government to stand by its commitment for the expeditious release in compliance with a solemn peace agreement — the Jasig — signed by both negotiating panels and approved by their respective principals, then President Fidel Ramos and NDFP Chairman Mariano Orosa, seriously prejudices the advance of peace talks on social and economic reforms and political and constitutional reforms," Jalandoni said.
He said the government must also show concrete results of its commitment, declared during the formal talks on Feb. 15 to 21, 2011, "to undertake steps for the release of prisoners and detainees."
More than 340 political prisoners await concrete action by the GPH in accordance with the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines has said that it will abide by the decision of the higher authorities with regard to the case of the arrested communist leaders.
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Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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