From InterAksyon (Mar 26): Probe arrest of Tiamzons, Congress urged
Two party-list lawmakers on Tuesday filed a resolution seeking the investigation of the alleged illegal arrest and detention of Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) leaders Benito Tiamzon and Wilma Austria.
House Resolution No. 991 of Bayan Muna Representatives Neri Colmenares and Isagani Zarate sought to find out if the incident was another violation of the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) signed between the government and the National Democratic Front, the political wing of the communist movement.
"The arrest of the couple along with the series of arrests and detention against 10 other NDF peace consultants highlights the government’s reneging on its commitment to release most of the detained JASIG-protected consultants and personnel of the NDFP," the lawmakers said.
"The arrest and detention of the Tiamzon couple and their companions are blatant violations of JASIG and will further imperil the peace talks between the GPH and NDFP," they added.
Colmenares and Zarate said the incident showed bad faith on the part of the President, who declared he was still interested in pursuing peace negotiations, but at the same time, giving approval to the military and the police to "harass, arrest, detain and even neutralize: NDFP peace consultants and personnel."
"Peace and human rights advocates are asking Congress to look into the correctness of the Aquino administration’s virtual scuttling of the peace negotiations with the NDFP and concluding peace talks with the MILF which may be considered as a form of divide-and-rule tactic, as well as a pacification tactic instead of addressing the root causes of armed conflicts and pursuing just and lasting peace," they said.
Tiamzon and Austria, said to be top-ranking leaders of the CPP, were arrested on Saturday, March 22 in Barangay Zaragosa, Aloguinsan town, about 60 kilometers southwest of Cebu City, along with five others—Rex Villaflor, Nona Castillo, Joel Enano, Jeosi Nepa and Arlene Panea—whom the military described as “staff personnel” of the Tiamzon couple.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/83465/probe-arrest-of-tiamzons-congress-urged
Two party-list lawmakers on Tuesday filed a resolution seeking the investigation of the alleged illegal arrest and detention of Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) leaders Benito Tiamzon and Wilma Austria.
House Resolution No. 991 of Bayan Muna Representatives Neri Colmenares and Isagani Zarate sought to find out if the incident was another violation of the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) signed between the government and the National Democratic Front, the political wing of the communist movement.
"The arrest of the couple along with the series of arrests and detention against 10 other NDF peace consultants highlights the government’s reneging on its commitment to release most of the detained JASIG-protected consultants and personnel of the NDFP," the lawmakers said.
"The arrest and detention of the Tiamzon couple and their companions are blatant violations of JASIG and will further imperil the peace talks between the GPH and NDFP," they added.
Colmenares and Zarate said the incident showed bad faith on the part of the President, who declared he was still interested in pursuing peace negotiations, but at the same time, giving approval to the military and the police to "harass, arrest, detain and even neutralize: NDFP peace consultants and personnel."
"Peace and human rights advocates are asking Congress to look into the correctness of the Aquino administration’s virtual scuttling of the peace negotiations with the NDFP and concluding peace talks with the MILF which may be considered as a form of divide-and-rule tactic, as well as a pacification tactic instead of addressing the root causes of armed conflicts and pursuing just and lasting peace," they said.
Tiamzon and Austria, said to be top-ranking leaders of the CPP, were arrested on Saturday, March 22 in Barangay Zaragosa, Aloguinsan town, about 60 kilometers southwest of Cebu City, along with five others—Rex Villaflor, Nona Castillo, Joel Enano, Jeosi Nepa and Arlene Panea—whom the military described as “staff personnel” of the Tiamzon couple.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/83465/probe-arrest-of-tiamzons-congress-urged