Iloilo courts order arrest of NDFP negotiator

ILOILO CITY—Alleged rebel leader and peace consultant Ma. Concepcion Araneta-Bocala is still facing arrest even as peace negotiations are set to resume early next month.

Two branches of the Iloilo Regional Trial Court (RTC) have issued warrants for the arrest of Bocala, known by her nom de guerre “Ka Concha,” last month due to the termination of the previous round of talks held in Oslo, Norway.

Judge Ma. Therese Enriquez-Gaspar, presiding judge of RTC Branch 33, set a P30,000 bail for a rebellion charge against Bocala.

Gaspar denied an omnibus motion filed by Bocala’s lawyers for a reinvestigation, judicial determination of probable cause and lifting of the arrest warrant.

Vain attempt

Gaspar said in her two-page order that the case was filed in 1988 and the motions should have been filed at that time.

She said the recent motions were a “vain attempt” of the accused to evade the legal processes.

Gaspar, who is also acting presiding judge of RTC Branch 23, also issued a warrant for the arrest of Bocala for alleged illegal possession of firearms and ammunition and for another case of illegal possession of firearms.

In her Branch 23 order, Gaspar said the P100,000 cash bond posted by Bocala for her release to attend the peace negotiations on Oct. 6 to 10 was deemed canceled after termination of the talks.

Lawyer Rene Estocapio, of the National Union of People’s Lawyers, said counsels for Bocala would file motions for reconsideration at the courts.

Bocala, 66, is expected to be among the consultants of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) in the fourth round of peace negotiations with the government set on April 2 to 6 in The Netherlands.

She was arrested on Aug. 1, 2015, in Iloilo and was believed to be the head of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) in Panay.

She was released on Aug. 16, 2016, after she was allowed to post bail totaling P400,000 in courts in Iloilo City, Aklan and Antique.

Other charges

Bocala is also facing a 1975 murder charge at the Kalibo, Aklan RTC Branch. She has also been charged with rebellion at the Culasi, Antique RTC Branch 13.

She had denied the allegations saying these were “trumped-up” charges to justify her prolonged detention.

The CPP had announced that it would issue a unilateral declaration of interim ceasefire not later than March 31 as part of goodwill measures in support of the resumption of the peace talks.

In an ambush interview in Malaybalay City on Saturday, President Duterte said he did not decide alone on the peace process with communist rebels.

Mr. Duterte said he had yet to consult other officials on the CPP’s plan to declare a unilateral ceasefire and whether the government needed to reciprocate.

“The presidency is not controlled by me at all, there is no such thing as absolute decision if it involves the interest of the country,” Mr. Duterte said.

“I have to consult the Speaker, I have to consult the Senate President, I have to convene the National Security Council and I have to ask the generals of the Army and the police,” he said.

Duterte’s honor

The President expressed doubt the rebels would heed the ceasefire declaration, citing previous cases of New People’s Army attacks at the height of ceasefire declarations.

He said he ended the government ceasefire declaration in February because of a rebel attack that took place even before the rebels ended their ceasefire declaration.

Citing unconfirmed reports, Mr. Duterte said the attack on soldiers in Bukidnon before the rebels even declared an end to their ceasefire was a display of brutality.

“One Army guy had 74 bullet wounds,” he said. “We fight as warriors but we do not kill people like animals.”

Mr. Duterte said the war with rebels had been going on for the past 50 years already and he did not mind if it dragged for another 50 years. “You honor what you pledge,” he said. —WITH A REPORT FROM ALLAN NAWAL