AFP waiting for specific details on NDF consultant arrest order

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 6): AFP waiting for specific details on NDF consultant arrest order

While aware of President Rodrigo Duterte's order to arrest National Democratic Front (NDF) consultants in wake of the termination of the ceasefire and peace talks, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is waiting for specific details on what role it can play in the process.

"We have heard about that order, and so far, we still have no specific details on as to how the AFP will be tapped to implement that particular declaration," said AFP public affairs office chief Col. Edgard Arevalo.

"But we are going to support the President (but we still have to) wait for certain formalities to be observed," he added.

About 22 known ranking leaders of the NDF were released from prison to join the peace negotiation with the government panel and the NDF in Oslo, Norway mid-August last year.

President Duterte ordered the arrest of these NDF leaders so that they can face their criminal charges in various courts in the country.

The President added he would order the Bureau of Immigration to cancel the passports of the released NDF consultants, if they would not come home.

"Well, if they want an asylum, they could apply an asylum to where they are now because we would definitely arrest and put them behind bars to answer charges against them once they arrived in the country," he said.

The Chief Executive ordered the termination of the unilateral ceasefire and peace talks after the New People's Army (NPA) conducted a series of unprovoked attacks against unarmed troops, killing six and abducting three.

This followed after the NPA announced that it will be terminating its ceasefire effective 11:59 p.m. of Feb. 10.

As this develops, combined operatives from the 4th Infantry Division and the Philippine National Police (PNP) arrested one Lito Elmidolan alias "Gary", ordnance technical staff of the NPA's Komisyon ng Mindanao and his wife Thelma, a member of KOMMID's finance staff during operations in Ozamis Port, Misamis Occidental last Feb. 4.

The two were arrested based on the warrant of arrest for multiple attempted murder issued by Regional Trial Court 10th Judicial Region Branch 6, Prosperidad, Agusan Del Sur.

The two were immediately brought to PNP Ozamis headquarters for booking and documentation.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=961416