DILG Secretary Mar Roxas. Photo courtesy of untvweb.com
Presidential hopeful Mar Roxas is challenged to scrap the “reward-bounty system” used as incentives to capture key National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) peace consultants involved in the peace process.
The call to Roxas also includes his replacement as Secretary
of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Human rights group, Karapatan, lamented the capture of peace
consultant Maria Concepcion Araneta-Bocala alias “Remi Estrella” by state security
operatives for bounty pay-offs is contrary to the peace efforts as
Araneta-Bocala is protected by immunity guarantee from arrest or detention.
Karapatan said the Department of National Defense (DND) and
DILG “reward system-bounty list” weighs heavier than its joint agreement with
the NDFP on safety and immunity guarantees or the JASIG, and the Comprehensive
Agreement on the Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law
(CARHRIHL).
Reacting on the recent arrest of peace consultant Maria
Concepcion Araneta-Bocala, Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay said,
“The GPH and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) would gladly violate
JASIG and arrest NDFP peace consultants, earn from the reward money than push
forward the long-stalled peace talks with the NDFP.”
“We challenge the DILG Secretary, whether its Mar Roxas or
his replacement, to withdraw the Order on Reward System targeting so-called
communists but has proven to have victimized innocent civilians,” Palabay said.
“By arresting peace consultants of the NDFP, the government
already bagged at least Php 55 million. These funds would have been more useful
when channeled to social services since these are taxpayers’ money. The
reward system further breeds corruption in the bureaucracy,” Palabay said.
Araneta-Bocala, or Concha, with Php 7.8 million bounty on
her head, was arrested early morning of August 1, 2015, by joint forces of the
Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Unit Region 6 and the AFP
Intelligence Service at a house in Juntado Subdivision, Molo, Iloilo City
Araneta-Bocala is NDFP peace consultant for the Visayas
region.
She was issued Document of Identification No. ND978245
under assumed name “Remi Estrella”.
Bounty-reward system
Under the JASIG, persons with Document of Identification
should be immune from arrests and detention in order to perform their duties as
peace consultants.
The DND-DILG reward system is contained in the DND-DILG JOR
Number 14-2012.
But it was amended in 2012 through the JO ORDER ON REWARD
NUMBER 14(A)-2012 in recognition of the peace negotiations with the NDFP.
The order stated, ‘Pursuant to the Joint Agreement on Safety
and Immunity Guarantess (JASIG) dated 24 February 1995 and the current GPH list
of JASIG-covered personalities, the following names are to be deleted from
DND-DILG JOR Number 14-2012 in recognition of the pending peace negotiations
and conditions upon the existence of the said peace negotiations.’
Some of the deleted names with corresponding reward money
were Wilma Austria-Tiamzon, Rafael Baylosis, Vicente Ladlad, Reynaldo Bocala
and Jose Maria Sison.
“However, Austria is still detained with husband Benito
Tiamzon while Ladlad and Baylosis still face trumped-up murder charges
initiated during the Arroyo regime, supposedly Aquino’s nemesis,” Palabay
added.
Another NDFP consultant was arrested on July 20 in Quezon City
“Lorenzo and Lantayan complained that they are only given
food after the CIDG members have eaten and there are left over food,” Palabay
said.
OPAPP, saboteur of the peace process
Karapatan strongly criticized the Office of the
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process for its “consistent role in
sabotaging the GPH-NDFP process through its statements and moves that consider
previously signed agreements such as the JASIG inoperative.”
The OPAPP released a statement yesterday on Araneta-Bocala’s
arrest.
Palabay cited an acknowledgement letter issued by the GPH
Peace Panel citing “Remi Estrella,” Araneta-Bocala’s assumed name, as entitled
to the safety and immunity guarantees under the JASIG, aside from the DI shown
by Araneta-Bocala upon her arrest.
“The OPAPP, through its Secretary Teresita “Ging” Deles,
also consistently justifies illegal arrests, disappearances and other rights
violations,” Palabay added.
“We reiterate our call to immediately release the NDFP peace
consultants and resume the peace talks. We also call on the GPH to stop
spending huge amount of people’s money in self-serving and unproductive
activities,” she insisted.
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