ARROYO REGIME IN CONVERTING INTO A LIST OF ARREST THE JASIG LIST OF DULY-AUTHORIZED PERSONS

16 March 2006

NDFP CONDEMNS TREACHERY OF ARROYO REGIME IN CONVERTING INTO A LIST OF ARREST THE JASIG LIST OF DULY-AUTHORIZED PERSONS

The Arroyo regime must be vigorously condemned for the worst kind of treachery. It has turned into a list of people to be arrested the list of people accorded with the guarantees of safety and immunity under the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP). The regime has thus converted a solemn and binding peace agreement into an instrument of fascist repression.

On February 24, 1995, the GRP and the NDFP signed the JASIG. This was approved by the Principals of both parties and therefore binding and effective. On the basis of the JASIG, all peace negotiators, consultants, staffers and supporters of both sides who participated in the peace negotiations are covered by safety and immunity guarantees.

Now, the Arroyo regime, in a most reprehensible act of bad faith, has put all those who were duly covered with safety and immunity guarantees on the wanted list, to be charged with rebellion and to be hunted down like criminals. Included in the list are not only the NDFP negotiators, consultants and staffers, but also non-NDFP personnel who volunteered their services as consultants, members of committees, and staffers.

Members of the Joint Secretariat (JS) and its staff, who generously agreed to the invitation of the NDFP to help the Joint Monitoring Committee of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL), are now among those threatened with rebellion charges and arrest. The JS, the last remaining mechanism of the GRP-NDFP peace negotiations, supported and funded by the Royal Norwegian Government, is thus threatened with immediate suppression.

Shamelessly violating the basic principles of democracy, the Arroyo regime now uses a hooded witness to make false claims to justify its repressive acts against a broad spectrum of critics of its anti-people policies. The use of a hooded witness is reminiscent of the hooded Makapili in the time of the Japanese occupation who pointed to innocent civilians, marking them for torture and execution.

Flagrantly violating the right to due process, GRP Justice Secretary Gonzalez, implementing the idea of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of setting up a "rogues gallery", has announced bounties for those on the regime's wanted list. He said that the bounties could go up to P 10 million per person.

By this worst act of treachery and flagrant violation of the people's basic democratic rights, the Arroyo regime is going down the path of all-out tyranny and war. It is bound to be met by the intensifying resistance of the people.

Luis G. Jalandoni
Chairperson, NDFP Negotiating Panel

For reference:
Ruth de Leon
Executive Director
NDFP International Information Office
Utrecht, The Netherlands
Tel. + 31-30-2310431
Email: ndf@wanadoo.nl