Military belies claims on transfer of NPA spokesperson

LUCENA CITY—A military official in Southern Luzon belied the allegation by lawyers of Jaime “Ka Diego” Padilla, spokesperson for the New People’s Army (NPA) Southern Tagalog, that he was transferred to an undisclosed location after his arrest.

Lt. Col. Dennis Cana, spokesperson of the military’s Southern Luzon Command (Solcom), twitted Padilla’s lawyers on Thursday for feigning ignorance that he will be presented to the court that ordered his arrest.

“And that’s exactly what will happen. The allegation that he was being hidden was a lie,” the Solcom official said.

‘Vital data’

Government forces arrested Padilla, 72, on Monday night at Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City.

He was arrested under a warrant issued by Regional Trial Court Branch 46 of San Jose, Occidental Mindoro.

According to lawyer Kristina Conti, Padilla “has been missing” since noon of Wednesday, Nov. 27. She protested her client’s transfer to an undisclosed location without the knowledge of his legal counsel or family.

Cana said of Padilla’s arrest, “The series of arrests of key NPA leaders and the ongoing mass surrender of tired, disgruntled, demoralized rebels were creating mass panic and confusion among their ranks.”

“His own comrades provided crucial information on his health condition. Concerned citizens who recognized him as an NPA also gave vital data. The intelligence community validated all the information and acted fast that led to his arrest,” Cana told the Inquirer in an interview.

‘Peace consultant’

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) claimed that Padilla is a “peace consultant” and thus, immune from arrest.

The CPP said Padilla’s arrest violated his rights as provided under the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (Jasig) between the government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), the political arm of the communist insurgents.

Jasig, signed by the government and NDFP panels in 1995, is supposed to protect from arrest and other harassments negotiators from both sides who are taking part in the talks.