Gov't defends arrest of top leftist rebel leaders

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - The government defended today the arrest of two top leaders of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA), saying there was no violation of the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG).

Leftist National Democratic Front (NDF) peace panel head Luis Jalandoni has protested the arrest of Benito Tiamzon and Wilma Austria Tiamzon in Cebu last Saturday, claiming it was illegal since both are covered by JASIG, which the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the rebel group signed in 1995.

"The GPH panel believes otherwise. There has been no violation of the JASIG in these cases," said GPH peace panel head Alexander Padilla.

He recalled that both the NDF and the GPH agreed to a procedure in July 2011 to verify the true identities of several dozen alleged NDF consultants in the list of JASIG -protected individuals carrying aliases.

But through no fault of government, the NDF failed to open their own files that purportedly contained the photos and true identities of the said NDF consultants, he said.

"This failure had the effect of rendering the JASIG inoperative for those using aliases and those who are not directly involved in the peace process," the official explained, adding if indeed Benito was listed under an alias, "he is no longer covered by the JASIG."

In the case of Wilma, Padilla said she jumped bail when she escaped from detention on December 26, 1989, when there were no peace talks, and six years before the JASIG came into effect.

This makes her ineligible for JASIG protection, even assuming she was identified in the JASIG list by her real name, he added.

To sustain their claim to JASIG protection is "ridiculous," the official said, stressing that it would mean they can wage war and violence against government and when caught, claim JASIG protection and expect to be released.

The CPP-NPA is well aware of the effects of the failed verification, he said, noting that the rebels only have themselves to blame for rendering the JASIG inoperative for most of their alleged consultants.

Peace talks between the government and the NDF, the political wing of the CPP-NPA, bogged down in February last year.

The leftist rebel group has been waging war against the government for over four decades.