MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine National Police (PNP) is set to ask the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) to issue a red notice against Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria “Joma” Sison, PNP chief General Oscar Albayalde announced on Tuesday, September 10.

Effectively, this means the PNP will be asking police organizations around the world to “locate and provisionally arrest [Sison] pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action.”

According to Albayalde, the PNP is already “coordinating” with the Philippine Center on Transnational Crime for the request.

If the request is granted, the weight of the red notice would still be determined by the country where Sison is staying, the Netherlands.

NOW: Philippine National Police chief Gen Oscar Albayalde holds a press briefing here in Camp Crame. @rapplerdotcom pic.twitter.com/eU0cyQvjBd

— Rambo Talabong (@ramboreports) September 10, 2019

The problem: Sison, however, is still under political asylum in the northwestern European country, spoiling the chances of the PNP getting an overseas arrest.

National Democratic Front chief negotiator Fidel Agcaoili told Rappler that Sison is covered by Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Albayalde said the PNP, along with the Philippine military, plan to ask the Netherlands to drop Sison’s asylum on the basis of a new arrest warrant against him.

On August 28, Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 32 ordered Sison’s arrest for his alleged involvement in a multiple murder case filed in 2007 related to the alleged purge of communists.

How red notices work: The Interpol red notice is issued against “fugitives wanted either for prosecution or to serve a sentence.”

“This follows judicial proceedings in the country issuing the request. This is not always the home country of the individual, but the country where the crime was committed,” the Interpol states on its official website.

When the PNP submits its red notice request, the Interpol will examine it through a “specialized task force.” The Interpol emphasized that persons covered by red notices are not “wanted” by the Interpol, but the requesting state.

“Interpol cannot compel the law enforcement authorities in any country to arrest someone who is the subject of a red notice. Each member country decides what legal value it gives to a red notice and the authority of their law enforcement officers to make arrests,” it said. – Rappler.com