After visiting his detained comrades at Camp Crame in Quezon City, the chair of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) peace panel on Tuesday pushed for the release of all political prisoners anew and hinted that “negative actions” by the government side were impeding the peace process.
Luis Jalandoni said recent statements by the government panel’s chief negotiator Alexander Padilla on the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (Jasig) turning “inoperative” had cast a cloud on whether the peace talks would resume as planned on Sept. 12.
“As I see it, the Sept. 12 talk is now unclear because of these delaying actions and these statements coming from Alex that are actually invalid, null and void, and beyond his authority,” he told reporters after his visit to the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center.
NDF consultants
Jalandoni, accompanied by his wife Ma. Consuelo Ledesma and two others, entered Crame at about 9:45 a.m. and visited colleagues Alan Jazmines, Eduardo Serrano and Eduardo Sarmiento, who are incarcerated on separate charges of, among others, rebellion, murder and arson.
“They are NDF consultants and Jasig-protected. Thus, it is the government’s obligation, in accordance with the Jasig, to release them. Their arrest and detention are violations of the Jasig,” he said.
He said the three were among 13 political prisoners held by government whose release they were demanding.
“These 13 must be released so the peace negotiations can resume. There must be respect and compliance with agreements and already signed and approved by the principals of both sides,” Jalandoni said, noting that such agreements were purportedly reached in the Oslo talks in January and February.
Jalandoni said Padilla was “very very wrong” in declaring that the Jasig was now inoperative.
Binding and effective
“Alex Padilla cannot declare inoperative an agreement by the principals of both sides. That is binding and effective, and one panel or panel chair or even the adviser on the peace process cannot just declare the agreement inoperative,” he said.
Jalandoni said that Jasig could only be terminated by written notice of one principal to the other, adding that this happened only once in 1999 during the administration of former President Joseph Estrada.
He said the NDFP was also more than willing to discuss “social and economic reforms, political and constitutional reforms” during the peace talks.
“This has been suggested to Alex Padilla that such talks on social and economic reforms be taken up during the Sept. 12 to 24 talks in Oslo. What he has told media is also very wrong that we don’t want talks on social and economic reforms,” Jalandoni said.
Committed to peace
But the NDFP negotiator said they remained “determined and committed to resume the peace talks, if not on Sept. 12, then perhaps in October.”
“The Norwegian government is prepared to continue brokering the talks,” he said.
Asked about the release of prisoners of war held by the New People’s Army, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, Jalandoni said this was a “separate arrangement.”
The NDFP, the CPP and NPA have records of prisoners of war who have been released… And all prisoners of war are given human treatment in accordance with the Geneva Convention,” he said.
Jalandoni said the Aquino government must show “strong political will” in order to advance the peace negotiations, and this included releasing political prisoners despite objections from the military.