Court sends NDF peace consultant to 40 years in jail

MANILA, Philippines - A Muntinlupa City court has sentenced a peace consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) to a 40-year-jail term for illegal possession of firearms and explosives charges four years ago.

Judge Myra Bayot Quiambo of the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 203 on Wednesday found guilty alleged NDFP consultant Eduardo Sarmiento, who was arrested by the authorities in February 2009.

Records showed that Sarmiento was initally charged with arson before the Catbalogan Regional Trial Court Branch 29 and with multiple murder and multiple frustrated murder before the Municipal Trial Court of Paranas, Samar.

Sarmiento was later charged with illegal possession of firearms and explosives for allegedly carrying a brown bag containing a fragmentation grenade.

Tights group Karapatan, meanwhile, claimed that Sarmiento's arrest was illegal and the criminal charges were merely fabricated.

Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay said Sarmiento should have been released as early as 2011 had the Aquino administration fulfilled its committment to the Oslo statement which directs the release of political prisoners.

"In fact, Sarmiento should have not been arrested at all," Palabay said.

Palabay also noted that Sarmiento is covered by the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees between the Philippine government and the NDFP. The agreement was signed in 1995.

Sarmiento has been involved in the peace negotiations between the government and the NDFP since 1986, representing the Eastern Visayas region, Palabay noted.

"Also, Sarmiento’s arrest on February 24, 2009 was faulty because it was warrantless and it is not unusual for the State forces to plant “evidence” to justify arrest. It has always been their SOP (standard operating procedure), victimizing not just activists," she said.

Sarmiento had a P2 million bounty on his head which was supposedly awarded to an informant.

Karapatan said that at the time of his arrest, Sarmiento was in Manila for consultations.

The group said that Sarmiento was abducted near a mall in Alabang, Muntinlupa by joint elements of from the army intelligenceand the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and allegedly tortured and held incommunicado for a week before the AFP announced his arrest.

Sarmiento has been detained for four years at the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame in Quezon City. He may be transferred to the National Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City.