THE Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) is set to ask the Supreme Court (SC) and the Regional Trial Courts (RTC), where the criminal cases against the National Democratic Front (NDF) peace consultants are pending, to issue an arrest order against the "rebels" following the peace talks' cancellation.
In a statement on Thursday, Solicitor General Jose Calida said the OSG will soon file a manifestation seeking for the issuance of a recommitment order against the peace negotiators following the cancellation of the peace talks by President Rodrigo Duterte last February 4.
Calida said the SC resolution dated August 2, 2016 imposed conditions for the provisional liberty of the NDF consultants. The conditions were adopted by the concerned RTCs.
One of the conditions in the decision, Calida said, is that once their participation in the peace talks, as peace consultants in behalf of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA), ceases or the peace negotiations are terminated, their respective bonds shall be deemed automatically canceled.
"Supreme Court decisions form part of the law of the land. Hence, the resolution dated August 2, 2016 supersedes the defunct 1995 Jasig agreement between the parties which has become moot and academic," Calida said.
"Since President Rodrigo Duterte has already canceled the peace negotiations, the NDF consultants' provisional liberty automatically ceased; hence, they can now be arrested and recommitted to their respective detention facilities," the Solicior General added.
The President on February 4 announced the termination of the peace talks between the communist rebels and the government after the communist rebels lifted their respective unilateral ceasefires.
Duterte said his administration will only continue the peace talks if there is a compelling reason to do so. (SunStar Philippines)