Albayalde: Gov't working on revocation of Joma Sison's asylum status

The Philippine government is already working to have the asylum status granted to Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria Sison in the Netherlands revoked, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Oscar Albayalde said Tuesday.

At a press conference, Albayalde said Sison's days are numbered as the PNP, through the Philippine Center on Transnational Crime (PCTC), is already making representations with the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) for the issuance of a red notice for Sison's arrest.

"I think the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) is also working on it para mawala na nga 'yung privilege ni Sison doon, siya ay binigyan ng asylum. So once nawala 'yun and we have the red notice, he can be arrested there," Albayalde said.

The CPP founder has been residing in The Netherlands where he is seeking asylum as a political refugee since 1987.

Albayalde explained that the asylum given to Sison and top CPP leaders must be revoked as they are involved in heinous crimes.

"'Yung asylum naman can always be revoked... 'yun ang hinihingi nga natin sa Netherlands. It can always be revoked especially itong mga tao na 'to na they're giving asylum to are involved in murder, heinous crimes and they're not considered anymore na persecuted politically," Albayalde said.

"Dapat nga matagal na 'yan, matagal nang lumabas ang mga kaso na 'yan so we want to thank the judge na nag-issue ng warrant of arrest dito," he added.

Issued on August 28, the warrant of arrest against Sison and more than 30 others was connected to the 2006 discovery of a mass grave in Inopacan, Leyte that purportedly contained the bones of victims of the alleged purging by the New People's Army in the 1980s.

Judge Thelma Bunyi-Medina of the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 32 has recommended no bail for the accused.

Earlier, AFP spokesman Marine Brigadier General Edgard Arevalo said the military would coordinate with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Department of Justice regarding Sison's arrest. —KBK, GMA News