THE Philippine National Police (PNP) maintained on Thursday, November 8, that the operation that resulted in the arrest of National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) consultant Vicente Ladlad was plainly a law enforcement operation.
PNP chief Oscar Albayalde said it was not, in any way, connected with the order of President Rodrigo Duterte to arrest all the NDFP consultants and leaders following the cancellation of peace talks between the government and the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). The NDFP is the political arm of the communist party.
Quezon City Police District (QCPD) director Chief Superintendent Joselito Esquivel Jr. said in a press conference in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City said that they conducted surveillance after they received a report on “suspicious” activities in a house in Barangay San Bartolome, Novaliches, Quezon City.
“Actually there is no monitoring. This is a very simple law enforcement operation between the PNP and AFP so nung ma-build up natin later nalaman natin na siya si Mr. Vicente Ladlad and upon the execution of search warrant, there was a lot of subversive documents but first and foremost, this is in pursuit of the possession of illegal firearms which is a tool,” he said.
Ladlad was arrested around 1:30 a.m. of Thursday, November 8 in an alleged communist safehouse in San Bartolome.
Also arrested were the safe house owners Alberto and Virginia Villamor.
The operation was conducted by virtue of a search warrant issued by Executive Judge Cecilyn E. Burgos-Villavert of Regional Trial Court Branch 89 National Capital Judicial Region.
Police said they recovered assorted low and high powered firearms and various ammunition during the operation.
Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay said Ladlad’s arrest is a “grave violation” of the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (Jasig), an agreement that guaranteed NDFP consultants safe passage and immunity from arrest.
“They should be immune from arrests and detention and other harassment and attacks,” Palabay said.
“We condemn the arrest of Ladlad and the Villamor couple, amidst the intensifying attacks against people’s rights and human rights in the Philippines. We deplore the widespread policy and practice of the Duterte regime of filing of trumped up charges against political dissenters. Karapatan reiterates its call for the release of all political prisoners,” said Palabay.
Palabay accompanied Ladlad’s wife Fides who visited Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig Thursday hoping she could see her husband.
However, Albayalde said the Jasig is no longer in effect following the cancellation of the peace talks.
National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) director Guillermo Eleazar assured that Ladlad is safe and in good condition based on the medical examination which was conducted following his arrest. (SunStar Philippines)