By LUIS G. JALANDONI
Chairperson, NDFP Negotiating Panel
Since the so-called lifting of its illegitimate suspension of the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) last 17 July 2009, the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) has done nothing to respect and comply with the JASIG and remove impediments on the consultants of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) who are either under detention or with warrants of arrest on the basis of false charges.
Instead, the GRP has further violated the JASIG, generated more impediments and deprived such consultants of full immunity and safety guarantees. The violations of JASIG are evident in actions taken by the GRP against Randall Echanis, Rafael Baylosis and Vicente Ladlad.
Randall Echanis has been given mere conditional release for six months which is calculated to turn him into a hostaged consultant under duress of the GRP. He is made subject to arrest anytime at the whim of the GRP.
Worse, Rafael Baylosis and Vicente Ladlad have been issued safe conduct passes whose text incriminates them and makes them accept that they are criminal offenders. Baylosis and Ladlad have therefore rejected these sham passes.
As their lawyers have pointed out, these false safe conduct passes carry a judgment of conviction against them and even serve as a death warrant against them.
Their lawyers are preparing to file charges (civil, criminal and administrative) against General Avelino Razon, Jesus Versoza and others responsible for issuing said passes.
By these foregoing malicious acts, the GRP has manifested its gross contempt for the JASIG and the entire peace negotiations between the GRP and the NDFP.
The NDFP vigorously condemns the GRP’s acts to undermine the JASIG and scuttle the peace negotiations. It also considers the GRP reprehensible for issuing press statements intended to mislead the public into believing that it is interested in peace negotiations with the NDFP.
