“There is no reason for them (Tiamzons) not to be released”.
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National Police chief Ronald dela Rosa said the temporary release of the leaders was the result of president Duterte’s peace offer.
In a press conference, they thanked Mr Duterte for their release and for a restart of the talks that will tackle wide-raging reforms in a bid to end the conflict. “We know there a lot of challenges, stumbling blocks that we must hurdle for the peace talks to truly succeed”. The Philippines has let 12 NPA leaders out of jail on bail just a few days before new talks are to start in Norway.
Released last night upon posting bail was Porferio Tuna Jr., who was detained at the Compostela Valley provincial rehabilitation center.
Fifteen detained communist leaders have already been freed for them to be able to participate in the Oslo talks.
The release of the communist leaders came as the NDFP-Southern Mindanao Region (SMR) ordered the release of two “prisoners of war”, who have been held captive in Davao Oriental.
The Armed Forces has no objection to the release of the Tiamzons.
Benito Tiamzon and his wife Wilma raised clenched fists, hugged friends and supporters and said they had high hopes of lasting peace after they posted bail and walked out of police cells in Manila.
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza said freeing the rebel negotiators showed the government’s sincerity to the talks. “We are looking forward to fruitful but intense negotiations in Oslo”.
The NPA has been operating in the Philippines since 1969, as described by Wikipedia: “The New People’s Army (NPA) (Filipino: ” Bagong Hukbong Bayan) is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).
Five rebel leaders still in detention hope to join the 17 traveling to Oslo for the talks.
Other conditions imposed by the GRP panel include returning to the Philippines after the formal peace negotiations in Oslo, Norway and reporting to the Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines in Norway whenever required.
“The President has the political will to make it happen without short-circuiting the judicial process”, Dureza said.
This explains, he added, the large number of NDF consultants who are travelling overseas.
The fifth member, former agrarian reform secretary Hernani Braganza, had left ahead to confer with the NDF panel in Utrecht, the Netherlands.
The Philippine delegation will leave for Oslo tonight.
The peace talks are scheduled for August 22-26. However, the Philippine government delisted the NPA as a terrorist group in 2011 making negotiations somewhat easier.
Speaking at a media forum in Iligan City, Dureza said the government will seek to establish a bilateral ceasefire agreement.
Earlier yesterday, the CPP said it would declare a unilateral ceasefire in order to “bolster” the negotiations.
The administration is still confident that the peace negotiations would succeed, Dureza said.
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The Philippine president has reimposed an indefinite cease-fire after communist guerrillas declared their own truce as both sides set the stage for a resumption of talks aimed at ending one of Asia’s longest-running rebellions.
