AFP: Ara, Janno not liable for partying with Joma

DAVAO CITY – The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) virtually cleared actress Ara Mina and singer Janno Gibbs of any liability for having been seen dancing and partying with Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria Sison in the Netherlands last December.

"Definitely, they have no liability or whatever. They were paid to perform in that Christmas party wherein Sison also happened to be there," AFP spokesman Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro said.

He said anyone, especially artists, is free to perform whatever is required of his or her services as stipulated in the signed contract.

"What we are pointing out here is the message that such pictures connote: that of a leader of the communist party dancing with a sexy star in a party abroad, while the rest of the insurgents are facing hardship in the field," Bacarro said.

Sison posted a number of his photos with Mina on his personal website, josemariasison.org, which Bacarro said he recently stumbled upon.

"It only shows that Sison in not in a right state of mind. He is an ego-tripper for posting such photos in his personal website while his men are suffering in the battlefield," Bacarro said.

He said he could not understand how Sison could dare to post photos showing himself dancing with Mina, who was in a sheer black lace dress.

Defense Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane, on the other hand, said Sison has good taste in choosing dancing partners.

"He seemed to be good in picking a dancing partner," he told reporters in a press conference here Saturday night.

Ebdane and AFP chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon arrived here Saturday evening for an overnight stay after an earlier trip to Sulu.