By Vince Angelo C. Ferreras
NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC Front of the Philippines (NDFP) consultant Vicente Ladlad was arrested by the police Thursday, as confirmed by his wife in a Facebook post also that day.
“My husband VIC LADLAD was arrested today Nov 8 around 12 midnight based on a text I got,” said Mr. Ladlad’s wife Fides Lim in a Facebook post shared by Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria C. Sison.
Also according to an initial report by the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), Mr. Ladlad and two others identified as Alberto and Virginia Villamor were all arrested for possession of illegal firearms by a joint operation of the Philippine National Police(PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
Mr. Ladlad and the Villamor couple were arrested at Barangay San Bartolome, Novaliches in Quezon City. Reportedly seized from them were M-16 and AK-74 rifles, hand grenades, and subversive documents.
At 5:50 am, the suspects were brought to Quezon City Police District Station 4 for booking and medical examination.
NCRPO Regional Director Guillermo T. Eleazar said in a press conference at the NCRPO Regional Headquarters: “It started with the information given to QCPD, after that an investigation was conducted and cross-reference was conducted with other intelligence units. Eventually, nagkaroon ng ebidensiya (Eventually, we found evidence). For a search warrant to be given by a competent court, dapat i-screen ‘yan and evaluate the evidence that we have (The evidence should be screened and evaluated). The fact that the search warrant was granted…ito ay nagpapakita ngayon na tama ‘yung impormasyong nakuha natin (This shows that the information we gathered was correct).”
Rights group Karapatan denounced the arrests as another attack on human rights.
“We condemn the arrest of Ladlad and the Villamor couple, amidst the intensifying attacks against people’s rights and human rights in the Philippines. We deplore the widespread policy and practice of the Duterte regime of filing of trumped up charges against political dissenters. Karapatan reiterates its call for the release of all political prisoners,” the group said in statement on Thursday.
The group added, “Ladlad’s arrest is a direct and grave violation of the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG), as with the arrest of other peace consultants of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP). They should be immune from arrests and detention and other harassment and attacks.”
For his part, Mr. Sison said in a message to reporters: “He is protected by the JASIG as much as the negotiators and consultants of the other are protected by JASIG who do not become open targets of surveillance, arrest or combat even when the peace negotiations are terminated. There are continuing safety and immunity guarantees for them. Thus, there is the resorting to planting firearms on him despite (his) emphysema condition. The bench warrant against him by a court is also subject to a motion for reconsideration because he could not appear in court because of his illness.”
The Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) is a 1995 agreement by the government and NDFP which provides immunity to negotiators and consultants joining in peace talks.
PNP chief Director Oscar D. Albayalde said the arrests did not violated the JASIG. “There’s already a suspension of peace talks. Ito (This) is a violation of the law, not a political issue. This is the violation of the law, [the] illegal possession of loose firearms. Let us be clear on that. We cannot use yung mga ‘yun, yung mga JASIG or similar agreement para itago or magtago doon sa agreements na ‘yan. ‘Di po pwede ‘yan (They cannot hide behind the JASIG and other agreements. That cannot be.) This is a simple or blatant violation of law, ‘yung possession of loose firearms,” he said in a press conference.
In his press briefing in Malacañang, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo said the arrests were “not illegal. JASIG is only effective if there’s ongoing peace talks.”
