Jalandoni condemns arrest of top communist leaders

The chief negotiator for the Philippines’ communist insurgents, Luis Jalandoni, speaks during a Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) forum in Manila on September 3, 2011. AFP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Luis Jalandoni, chairperson of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP)  negotiating panel for the stalled peace talks with the government, on Saturday night condemned the arrest of Benito and Wilma Tiamzon whom he said were NDF consultants.

“Benito Tiamzon and Wilma Austria are NDFP consultants who have fulfilled and are fulfilling highly significant tasks in the peace negotiations between the government of the Republic of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines,” Jalandoni said in a statement released through lawyer Edre Olalia.

Jalandoni said Wilma Austria is a holder of the NDFP Document of Identification ND 978226 under her real name while Benito Tiamzon holds the NDFP Document of Identification ND 978227 under the assumed named “Crising Banaag.”

Both hold a letter of acknowledgement from then GRP negotiating panel chairman Silvestre Bello III.

“The NDFP vigorously demands that Benito Tiamzon and Wilma Austria be immediately and unconditionally released,” Jalandoni said.

“This latest flagrant violation of the JASIG (Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees) by the Aquino regime, in addition to so many other gross violations of the JASIG, most seriously prejudices the GPH-NDFP peace negotiations,” Jalandoni said.

Armed Forces chief of staff Gen. Emmanuel Bautista said Benito Tiamzon is the chairman of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) while Wilma Tiamzon is the CPP-NPA secretary general.

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