Tiamzons ask court to deny government’s plea to order their arrest

Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) leaders Benito and Wilma Tiamzon and another alleged rebel have asked a Manila court to deny the government’s plea to order their arrest after President Rodrigo Duterte terminated the peace talks with the group last month.

The Tiamzons and Adelberto Silva are among the accused in the murder case pending at the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 32 which stemmed from the discovery of a mass grave in Leyte containing suspected victims of communist rebel purge in the 1980s.

In a joint comment filed with the court on Wednesday, the three personalities, who serve as consultants of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) in the peace negotiations, said the prosecution’s motion must be denied for lack of a formal written notice of termination from the government peace negotiators.

Alternatively, the accused asked the court to defer the resolution of the motion filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) “so as not to render moot and academic the efforts and overwhelming calls toward the resumption of the peace negotiations.”

The accused cited Duterte’s speech at the 84th anniversary celebration of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on December 8 in Bulacan where he said the government can revive the talks with the communists "some other time."

The rebels, however, should stop their illegal activities, including their collection of "revolutionary taxes" from businessmen, according to the President.

"The prosecution’s prayer for the re-commitment of herein accused and the issuance of warrants of arrest against them is like a Gordian knot difficult to undo, and will certainly defeat all efforts and expectations by various peace advocates, including the Royal Norwegian Government as third party facilitator, to pursue the peace talks as a venue to address the root cause of the armed conflict," the comment stated.

"Accused herein appeal to the Honorable Court for prudence and good judgment in these trying times and further, to decide with the benefit of introspection and historical insight," it added.

Duterte signed Proclamation 360 on November 23, declaring the termination of peace talks with the communist rebels due to the latter's continued attacks on government forces and civilians.

The President also labeled the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army as terror organizations with the DOJ expected to file a petition in the trial court soon to legally declare them as terror groups under the Human Security Act (Republic Act 9372). — RSJ, GMA News