RP asks Dutch gov't: Restrain Sison et al

The government has asked the Netherlands to prevent several Filipino communist guerrilla leaders living in that country from taking hostile action against the Philippines, Presidential Spokesman Fernando Barican said yesterday.

Last year, Malacañang asked the Dutch government to expel Jose Maria Sison, Luis Jalandoni and Fidel Agcaoili, accusing them of conducting terrorist acts against the Philippines from the Netherlands.

The Hague replied it could only take legal steps when there was a clear indication of a breach of Dutch law, and asked for further material to substantiate the complaints, Barican said in a statement.

Pending the submission of new evidence, the Department of Foreign Affairs has urged the Dutch government "to exert political pressure" on Sison, Jalandoni and Agcaoili "to refrain from undertaking acts inimical to the interest of the Philippines, in consideration of the friendly (bilateral) relations," Barican added.

Sison, who is seeking Dutch asylum, founded the Maoist Communist Party of the Philippines in 1968. The party's New People's Army, founded a year later, has waged a 31-year guerrilla campaign.

Jalandoni and Agcaoili were rebel negotiators in peace talks with the Philippine government that were called off by President Estrada last year when the guerrillas abducted an Army general and several other police and military officials. All were later freed unharmed.

Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Secretary Domingo Siazon Jr. advised Sen. Juan Ponce-Enrile not to be "emotional" about the case of the exiled communist leaders, saying he, too, is exasperated in waiting for evidence from the National Security Council in the past six months.

"We're still waiting for more evidence from the NSC. We have to make sure that our case is strong," Siazon said.

Enrile said Siazon could not decide on such a pressing matter because he was busy with his plans to become United Nations secretary-general.