CPP demands release of NPA spokesperson, 3 others

From GMA News Online (Nov 27, 2019): CPP demands release of NPA spokesperson, 3 others

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) on Wednesday called for the immediate release of the spokesperson of its armed wing New People's Army-Southern Tagalog, along with his three other companions, who had been arrested by joint police and military forces at a hospital in San Juan City earlier this week.

In a statement released by CPP chief public information officer Marco Valbuena, he said that the government should drop what he called were trumped up charges against the four.

"Ka Diego, who is in his senior years, is suffering from heart problems and various physical ailments. With the material support and various assistance of friends and allies of the CPP and NPA, he was brought to Manila to undergo diagnostics and medical treatment," Valbuena said.

"He must be given full access to his lawyers as well as doctors and medical care services. The Party demands that he be accorded full respect which he deserve as a revolutionary activist and humble servant of the people," he added.

The police said that Jaime "Ka Diego" Padilla has standing warrant of arrest for multiple murder. Hence, he was arrested on Monday while confined at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center.

Padilla and his three alleged cohorts are detained at the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-National Capital Region in Camp Crame.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman Brigadier General Edgard Arevalo earlier said that the communist leader's arrest was a big blow to the Reds.

Valbuena said that Padilla served as an effective spokesperson of the NPA forces in Southern Tagalog and that his arrest was merely a move of the military to silence him.

"Indeed, the toiling masses and people of Southern Tagalog consider the arrest of Ka Diego as a setback to their revolutionary cause," Valbuena said.

"He has consistently exposed the disinformation and fake news churned out by Duterte’s factory of lies. He has exposed and denounced as well the grave crimes and rights abuses perpetrated by the AFP against the people of Southern Tagalog," he added.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/716985/cpp-demands-release-of-npa-spokesperson-3-others/story/