DOJ to summon Joma on killing of Aguinaldo

Exiled communist leader Jose Ma. Sison and seven New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas will be summoned to the Department of Justice in Manila to answer allegations they were involved in the murder of Cagayan Rep. Rodolfo Aguinaldo and his bodyguard on June 12, 2001.

State Prosecutor Melvin Abad said yesterday the subpoena will be sent to Sison in Utrecht in the Netherlands through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

The Philippines cannot compel the Dutch government to send back Sison because there is no extradition treaty between the two countries, he added.

The other respondents are Victor Servidores, Evangeline Rapanut, Wilfredo Valencia, Victorio Tesorio, Manuel Columbano, Santiago Dolarte and Randy Malayao, all officers of the NPA’s Cagayan Valley Regional Command.

Abad did not say how the subpoena would be served on the seven NPA commanders.

However, Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas Ople said yesterday the government is trying to convince Sison to return to the negotiating table.

"We want Sison to enter the new talks in good faith," he said. "We want him to accept a final peace offer under the conditions of a general and absolute amnesty."

The DFA will work to strip off the terrorist tag on Sison and the Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA if the communist rebels would agree to talk peace with the government, he added.