No violation of protection agreement in CPP-NPA leaders' arrest, says CHR chief Rosales

From InterAksyon (Mar 24): No violation of protection agreement in CPP-NPA leaders' arrest, says CHR chief Rosales



Tapatan host Melo del Prado with panellists Nasser Marahomsalic, former Commissioner on Human Rights; Etta Rosales, CHR chairperson; former Interior and Local Government Secretary Rafael Alunan III; Chief Superintendent Theodore Reuben Sindac; and military spokesman Lt.Col Ramon Zagala, on updates regarding the arrest of two top communist leaders, human rights, and criminality in the country. ERNIE REYES/InterAksyon.com

Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Chairperson Etta Rosales on Monday affirmed the government stand that there was no violation of the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (Jasig) in the arrest of communist leaders Benito and Wilma Tiamzon.

During the Tapatan media forum at Aristocrat Restaurant in Manila, Rosales said Jasig is inoperative because there had been a breakdown in the peace talks between the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front (NDF).

“Technically, there is a breakdown in the peace process. Now when there’s a breakdown, Jasig is not in operational,” she said.

Rosales said CPP founder Jose Maria Sison’s strong stand pushing for NDF’s six-point agenda caused the breakdown.

In an earlier interview over DzMM, Alexander Padilla, head of the government peace panel negotiating with NDF, said the leftist organization cannot invoke Jasig for the release of the Tiamzon, since they are not included in the list of personalities with safe-conduct passes.

“Ni anino ni Wilma at Benito Tiamzon ay di natin nakita bagamat alam natin na mataas ang kanilang tungkulin sa CPP-NPA (There not even the shadow of Wilma and Benito Tiamzon during the negotiations even as we know that they hold top positions in the CPP-NPA),” he said.

There are two lists for those with safe-conduct passes: one with real names and the other with aliases; the second list contains pictures and needs verification, Padilla said. “The couple’s names are not on both lists.”

No torture

Rosales also assured humane treatment for the Tiamzon couple, as with Alan Jazmines, another high-ranking NPA official who was arrested February 2011.

“If I am going to follow the earlier undertaking in the arrest of Alan Jasmines, I would think they have not been touched. They’re been handle in accordance with human rights policy as far as the manner of the arrest is concerned. I know it is a joint operations of the PNP and AFP,” she said.

Rosales said the arrest was made with full knowledge of those in the highest police and military command.

“Sa palagay ko, nasa maayos na kalagayan sila. Ibig sabihin noon, bagama’t wala akong impormasyon, mayroon akong kumpiyansa na hindi sila tinorture (In my view, they are in good condition. That means, even if I don’t have first-hand information, I trust that they were not tortured,” Rosales said.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/83360/no-violation-of-protection-agreement-in-cpp-npa-leaders-arrest-says-chr-chief-rosales