THE court has released political prisoner Ma. Concepcion Bocala-Araneta on bail on Wednesday, August 17, in order to allow her temporary liberty and join the National Democratic Front negotiating panel in Oslo, Norway slated on August 20 to 27, 2016.
Widely known as Concha Araneta, formerly considered as the head of the Communist Party of the Philippines in Western Visayas, will join the peace talks between the panels of the government of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front as a designated member of the NDFP Reciprocal Working Committee on Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-Economic Reforms (Caser) and her presence in the formal peace negotiations is necessary.
Concha is an NDFP consultant and cardholder recipient of the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (Jasig) dated February 24, 1995. However, she went underground and was arrested in Iloilo City last August 12, 2015 while undergoing treatment for her illnesses and detained at the BJMP Iloilo District Jail in Barangay Nanga, Pototan, Iloilo.
Cases filed against her include two cases at RTC branch 23 in Iloilo City for violation of Sec. 1, PD 1866 as amended and for violation of RA 9516, Rebellion charges at RTC branch 26 in Iloilo City, Rebellion charges at RTC branch 13 in Culasi, Antique, and Murder at RTC branch 2 in Kalibo, Aklan.
The court in Culasi, Antique issued an Order to release Concha from detention upon payment of P100,000 bail or a total of P400,000 in all the four courts to be paid at RTC branch 23 in Iloilo City.
Concha’s lawyers also asked the court to allow her to travel and be given an allow departure order to enable her to travel to Oslo and participate in the peace talks as well as for consultation meetings in the Netherlands with the NDFP negotiating panel immediately before and after said dates.
Concha said she is not a red combat fighter and is definitely not seeking asylum in the Netherlands like Jose Ma. Sison, the founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines.
The lone Ilongga peace panel participant from Panay Island said she will return to the Philippines upon completion of the peace talks as she is on bail with a temporary freedom. In Western Visayas, there are four more political prisoners languishing in jail on rebellion charges.
She said she has a separate agenda for the region that is more focused on the agriculture development and genuine agrarian reform on top of the NDFP national agenda on the peace negotiations.