Palace says no basis for NPA to arrest gov't negotiators

MANILA, Philippines — The New People's Army has no basis to arrest government negotiators, Malacañang said Monday, after a lawmaker warned that the capture of communist consultants could prod the rebels to retaliate. 

 

Anakpawis party-list Rep. Ariel Casilao has warned that the arrest of National Democratic Front consultants could prompt the NPA to capture members of the government negotiating panel.

 

Casilao made the remark days after government forces arrested NDF consultant Rafael Baylosis and his companion Guillermo Roque in Quezon City, the first communists to be nabbed since President Rodrigo Duterte classified the NPA and the Communist Party of the Philippines as terrorist groups. 

 

READ: NDF consultant Rafael Baylosis arrested in Quezon City

 

But presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the NPA rebels would commit a criminal act or a war crime if they seize the government negotiators.  

 

"That will be crime; that would be kidnapping, if not, a violation also of the IHL (International Humanitarian Law) because combatants will be apprehending innocent civilians. The peace negotiators are not combatants. I underscore that fact, and they’re not facing any arrest warrants," Roque said in a press briefing. 

 

"The NPA has absolutely no legal basis to arrest members of the government peace panel. It is criminal, it is a war crime. It is the NPA that refused to follow the rule of law," he added. 

 

Roque said Baylosis' arrest was pursuant to a lawful arrest order. 

 

"Now as such, we should allow the legal process to proceed so that our justice system can take its due course. He will have to defend himself in court as required by law, and he will have to prove that he is innocent of the criminal charges lodged against him," the presidential spokesman said. 

 

Roque insisted that the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees, which prohibits the arrest and detention of rebels working as peace consultants, no longer has a binding effect because the peace talks have been terminated. 

 

READ: Palace says communists cannot invoke JASIG

 

He also questioned Casilao's motive for issuing the warning, saying he sounded like a spokesman for the NPA. 

 

"Curiously, it appears that Congressman Casilao appears to be privy to information from inside the New People’s Army. And to me, he sounded like he was speaking on behalf of the NPA with his warning, that government negotiators may also be arrested by the NPA," Roque said.