Police set to arrest Tiamzon couple, NDF consultants

Communist Party of the Philippines leader Benito Tiamzon and his wife, Wilma, raise clenched fists as they walk out of police detention to join rebel negotiators in peace talks in Norway. NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

Following the orders of President Duterte, police are set to arrest several National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) consultants, including top Communist leaders Wilma and Benito Tiamzon.

“The President has given orders to arrest upon entry into the Philippine soil the following: Wilma Tiamzon, Benito Tiamzon, Vic Ladlad, Adelberto Silva, Alfonso Jasmines, Alfredo Mapano, Loida Magpatoc, Pedro Codaste, Ruben Soluta, Ernesto Lorenzo, Porferio Tuna, Reynante Gamara and Tirso Alcantara,” Philippine National Police chief Ronald dela Rosa told reporters at Camp Crame in an ambush interview on Monday.

Dela Rosa said the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) will lead the service of warrants against the NDFP consultants.

“I’ve instructed the CIDG to lead the operations then they will coordinate with the Bureau of Immigration para maaresto sila,” he said.

However, Fidel Agcaoili, chairperson of the NDFP negotiating panel, earlier said that all 17 NDFP consultants are protected from rearrest because they are covered by the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG).

Agcaoili said all 17 consultants have already returned to the Philippines and are not in hiding.

But Dela Rosa insisted that the arrest of warrants against the 13 consultants in their list are still in effect because no court has ordered to quash their warrants.

“Pinalabas sila under safe conduct pass pero ngayon live pa rin ‘yung arrest warrant because of the cases filed against them. Hindi naman na-quash ‘yung warrant nila,” he said.

(They were let out of the country under safe conduct pass but the arrest warrant is still live because of the cases filed against them. Their warrant wasn’t quashed.)

He said personalities mentioned who are already in the country will be immediately arrested.

“‘Yung mga nakauwi hanapin natin dito at dito natin aarestuhin (We will look for those who have returned and arrest them here). We are armed with arrest warrants so aarestuhin talaga namin sila (we will arrest them),” Dela Rosa said. JE/rga

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