The alleged chairman of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) Benito Tiamzon and his wife and alleged CPP-NPA secretary-general Wilma Austria were arrested in Cebu on Saturday, March 22. Their group, which included 5 others, was on board a Starex van and a Toyota Innova. They had been under intense surveillance since Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) hit and had been monitored in Leyte. The National Democratic Front of the Philippines condemned the arrest of the Tiamzons for their alleged crimes against humanity. Luis Jalandoni, chief negotiator of the NDFP in the peace talks with government, said the Tiamzons are NDFP consultants and should be entitled to safe conduct and free passage for the duration of the peace talks. Chief government negotiator Alex Padilla refuted this, saying they were not granted immunity because the verification process scheduled in July 2012 failed. The couple is not covered by the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees, Padilla said.
Read the full story on Rappler.
A related story on the NDF’s condemnation of the arrest is also on Rappler.
More information on the supposed immunity of the Tiamzons is also on Rappler.
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