“The same script had been used to cloak the AFP’s brutal murder of five civilians known as New Bataan 5, who were abducted and executed in New Bataan, Davao de Oro in late February.”
Two peace consultants and their companions were disappeared in early March in separate incidents. Human rights group calls on the government to surface them.
The family called on the CHR and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to regularly monitor Manuel Esteban Jr.’s condition and help them with his transfer to a regular jail or facility where he can be free from any pressure or threat.
NDFP Negotiating Panel interim chairperson Julie de Lima said Loida Magpatoc is a member of the NDFP Reciprocal Working Committee on Social and Economic Reform and should be immune from arrest.
State agents have killed and arrested several JASIG-protected peace process participants, especially after formal NDFP-GRP peace negotiations were cancelled by GRP President Rodrigo Duterte in 2017.
Edre Olalia, president of the National Union of Peoples Lawyers (NUPL) and lawyer of Wilma Austria said this is “a politically motivated persecution and hardline attack” as it was resurrected out of nowhere after 30 years.
“The Duterte regime remains on a fascist rampage that adds more and more obstacles to the resumption of the peace negotiations with the NDFP.”
NDFP panel chair Fidel Agcaoili slammed the illegal arrest of NDFP consultant Rommel Salinas as another clear violation of the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees.
“This policy and practice of filing trumped-up criminal charges against social workers, religious, human rights advocates, leaders of people’s organizations and consultants to the peace process have to stop.”
Duterte’s recognition and respect for these previously-signed agreements has opened doors for both the resumption of peace talks and the release of political prisoners through peace talks.”
The decision was based solely on the testimony of Bayani Domingo, who claimed to be a former member of the New People’s Army before he surrendered to the military in 2006.