ANGELES CITY – It was a big Valentines’ Day haul for combined military and police team, as they cornered last Monday a top leader of the central committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) in a safehouse in Villar Aurea in Barangay Subic in Baliuag, Bulacan.
In a report, the Armed Forces Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) identified the leader as Alan Jazmines who it described as “a member of the Executive Committee and Political Bureau of the CPP/NPA’s Central Committee”.
Nolcom said Jazmines’s arrest was based on 13 warrants issued by Judge Rodolfo Garduque of RTC Branch 63, Calauag, Quezon for murder and Branch 59 in Lucena City for rebellion.
Jazmines was reported to have insisted that his arrest was irregular as he claimed being under the coverage of the JASIG or the Joint Agreement on Security and Immunity Guarantee as member of the Communist Party of the Philippines/National Democratic Front/New People’s Army (CNN) negotiating panel.
But Nolcom commander Lt. Gen. Gaudencio Pangilinan said “the role of the AFP/PNP as apprehending authorities is to implement the law and arrest those with warrants of arrest.”
However, Pangilinan said that he will leave to higher authorities the final decision on this matter, as he insisted that the arrest of the suspect was based on criminal charges.
Also known as Ka Dex, Tomas and Arthur in the underground movement, Jazmines’ was arrested on Valentines day by members of the Bulacan police, the 702nd Infantry Brigade and other military operatives who said they tracked down the rebel based in information from local folk.
Pangilinan said “the rule of law and respect for human rights was strictly observed during the conduct of arrest.”
“While this may be seen as an operation before the implementation of the Suspension of Offensive Military Operations (SOMO) as agreed prior to the peace talks, the apprehending authorities strongly believe that no violation was committed on the said agreement since this is not a military operation but a police operation wherein the AFP troops were just called upon to complement the arresting PNP unit,” he noted.
In a report, the Armed Forces Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) identified the leader as Alan Jazmines who it described as “a member of the Executive Committee and Political Bureau of the CPP/NPA’s Central Committee”.
Nolcom said Jazmines’s arrest was based on 13 warrants issued by Judge Rodolfo Garduque of RTC Branch 63, Calauag, Quezon for murder and Branch 59 in Lucena City for rebellion.
Jazmines was reported to have insisted that his arrest was irregular as he claimed being under the coverage of the JASIG or the Joint Agreement on Security and Immunity Guarantee as member of the Communist Party of the Philippines/National Democratic Front/New People’s Army (CNN) negotiating panel.
But Nolcom commander Lt. Gen. Gaudencio Pangilinan said “the role of the AFP/PNP as apprehending authorities is to implement the law and arrest those with warrants of arrest.”
However, Pangilinan said that he will leave to higher authorities the final decision on this matter, as he insisted that the arrest of the suspect was based on criminal charges.
Also known as Ka Dex, Tomas and Arthur in the underground movement, Jazmines’ was arrested on Valentines day by members of the Bulacan police, the 702nd Infantry Brigade and other military operatives who said they tracked down the rebel based in information from local folk.
Pangilinan said “the rule of law and respect for human rights was strictly observed during the conduct of arrest.”
“While this may be seen as an operation before the implementation of the Suspension of Offensive Military Operations (SOMO) as agreed prior to the peace talks, the apprehending authorities strongly believe that no violation was committed on the said agreement since this is not a military operation but a police operation wherein the AFP troops were just called upon to complement the arresting PNP unit,” he noted.
