Government working to convince Utrecht to extradite Sison

The government is trying to convince the Netherlands to expel exiled communist rebel leader Jose Ma. Sison and extradite him to the Philippines to face charges in court, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez said yesterday.

At a press conference, Gonzalez said the government is establishing the ground rules to convince the Netherlands that Sison and other communist rebel leaders enjoying asylum in that country are "undesirable" persons.

"Although some of them have already taken citizenship (in the Netherlands), they (Sison and others) are enjoying asylum there," he said.

"We are trying to convince the Netherlands," he said.

Gonzalez said the government canceled the passport of Sison a long time ago, yet he is still enjoying asylum in the Netherlands.

"Just as we want to have peace with the Muslims, we want to have peace with them (Sison’s group)," he said. "They are our brother Filipinos. But they have to go back to the fold and be sincere about it."

Gonzalez said if the Netherlands did expel Sison and his group, they would have nowhere to go because they lack foreign passports.

"We don’t have much access to the legal system of these countries," he said.

"They started giving access to their legal system in the Netherlands, and there are complaints now against Sison and his group. There is quite a good development there which I cannot discuss because the issue is sensitive that the other government may not want to reveal."

Gonzalez said although the government is holding talks with the Netherlands, the Philippines will have to respect the Dutch legal system.

"Something punishable here may not be punishable there," he said. "That is also the situation on extradition law."

Gonzalez said the all-out war ordered by President Arroyo against the New People’s Army (NPA) has nothing to do with the peace process.

"I don’t believe that has really anything to do with the negotiations for peace because we really need to improve the capability of the Armed Forces," he said.

"The modernization of the Armed Forces has long been introduced in the country. That is the reason why Fort Bonifacio was sold during the Ramos administration, and that is in order to modernize the AFP. So there is nothing wrong with that," Gonzalez said.

He said Sison and his group still face charges before the Philippine government for criminal offenses.

"Sison was charged (in) the killing of Cagayan Valley Gov. Rodolfo Aguinaldo," he noted.

"There are people complaining against them. The wives of some of the people whom they have killed are complaining against them.

"The government has filed charges against Sison and his group," Gonzalez said. "These cases must be filed so that the Netherlands would know."