CPP/NDF: Aquino government must release Magpatoc and other NDFP Consultants

From the CPP Website (Sep 10): Aquino government must release Magpatoc and other NDFP Consultants

The NDFP Negotiating Panel strongly condemns the Aquino government’s refusal to release NDFP Consultant Ma. Loida Magpatoc, 52, in compliance with its solemn obligation under the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG).
Magpatoc’s NDFP Document of Identification No. ND978254 carries her photo with data on her identifying features. Together with the Letter of Acknowledgment issued and signed by then Panel Chairperson of the government of the Republic of the Philippines Silvestre H. Bello III, this entitles her to safe passage and immunity from arrest, detention, surveillance and other punitive actions.

The Aquino government’s Negotiating Panel claims that there is no proof that Ms. Magpatoc and Ms. Puri Feleo, mentioned in Secretary Bello’s Letter of Acknowledgment and the NDFP Document of Identification, are one and the same. The photo and the identifying characteristics in her Document of Identification however, are concrete proof that this claim is wrong.

By obstinately refusing to honor binding peace agreements, the Aquino government insults the word of honor and binding authority of GRP officials — former President Fidel V. Ramos, Ambassador Howard Dee, former GRP Negotiating Panel Chairperson Silvestre H. Bello, and then Congressman Jose Yap, the emissary of President Ramos who negotiated and signed The Hague Joint Declaration of 1992.
It was also under then President Ramos, with Ambassador Dee, Secretary Bello, Congressman Yap and former Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento, as GRP Negotiating Panel Chair and Members respectively, that the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) was signed in 1998. This was subsequently approved by then President Joseph Estrada.

In accordance with the CARHRIHL, the 430 political prisoners ought to be released including the more than a dozen NDFDP Consultants and JASIG-protected NDFP personnel.

Peace advocates all over the country and abroad are clamoring for the resumption of the GPH-NDFP peace talks. GPH President Aquino ought to listen to them. He must take the responsibility for honoring agreements the GRP/GPH has entered into. He should release all political prisoners, including all Consultants of the NDFP.

Reference:
ROSELLE VALERIO
NDFP International Information Office
email: ndf@casema.nl

http://www.philippinerevolution.net/statements/20130910_aquino-government-must-release-magpatoc-and-other-ndfp-consultants