Person claimed by NDFP to be Maria Concepcion Araneta-Bocala, from Philippinerevolution.Net
The National Democratic Front of the Philippines is demanding the immediate release of captured Panay rebel leader Maria Concepcion "Concha" Araneta-Bocala, who it claims is a consultant of its peace negotiating panel.
Araneta-Bocala was arrested by military and police agents in Molo, Iloilo City Saturday last week.
NDFP peace panel chairman Luis Jalandoni described Araneta-Bocala as the NDFP's consultant for the Visayas with Document of Identification No. ND978245 under the assumed name Remi Estrella.
He also provided InterAksyon.com a copy of the letter of acknowledgment for "Estrella" signed by then government chief negotiator Silvestre Bello III, who is now a party-list representative.
The letter confirmed that "Estrella" is "entitled to the safety and immunity guarantees as provided under the Joint Agreement on Security and Immunity Guarantees for the duration of the peace negotiations."
The agreement protects negotiators and their staff immunity from arrest and prosecution.
Meanwhile, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) announced in a statement issued Monday that Araneta-Bocala, "the alleged secretary of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP's) Panay Regional Committee, recently captured in Iloilo City who supposedly carries the assumed name of Remi Estrella, is not covered by JASIG as claimed by the CPP/NPA/NDF (C/N/N) and human rights organizations."
As OPAPP has consistently held, "JASIG is operative only for those C/N/N personalities who are using their real names and those who are recognized by the GPH as participants in the talks.
"Due to the failed JASIG verification process in 2011, JASIG is no longer operative for those using aliases or pseudonyms. With the failure of the validation mechanism, there is no basis to verify if Maria Concepcion Araneta- Bocala and the alias "Remi Estrella" are one and the same person. She is therefore not covered by JASIG."
Although the peace talks remains stalled, mainly over the rebels' demands for the release of several of its jailed "consultants," negotiations have never been formally declared terminated.
Thus, Jalandoni said in a statement, Araneta-Boacala's "illegal arrest is another flagrant violation" of the JASIG.
Jalandoni added that Araneta-Bocala "had already been already involved in peace talks way back in 1986/87 during the Corazon Aquino regime. She is truly a highly valued peace consultant of the NDFP."
OPAPP said it was refuting "the claim that Bocala was illegally arrested. Her arrest on August 1, 2015 in Iloilo City was a law enforcement operation based on an outstanding warrant (CC#1491) issued by the Regional Trial Court 6, Branch 2 in Kalibo, Aklan, for murder charges.
"Since Bocala is not covered by JASIG, there is no violation of the Agreement."
OPAPP noted that the C/N/N and its support groups "invariably claim JASIG coverage every time a C/N/N personality is arrested. However, JASIG does not exempt anyone from liability arising from acts in violation of penal and other existing laws."
For his part, Jalandoni condemned the P7.8-million bounty on the Panay rebel leader based on Joint Order No. 14-2012 of November 12, 2012 issued by the Departments of National Defense and of Interior and Local Government, which he called a "veritable order of battle, a gross violation of the JASIG (and) the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law."
Nevertheless, he downplayed the impact of Araneta-Bocala's capture on the rebel movement, saying "past experience has shown the revolutionary movement is able to replace arrested leaders and comrades, and continue the revolutionary struggle. Those arrested have trained many others to take up the responsibilities of carrying forward the struggle for national and social revolution."
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/115355/ndf-claims-but-opapp-denies-panays-concha-araneta-a-peace-consultant
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