AFP to free CPP leader on legal order; another rebel arrested

MANILA, Philippines - The military will release detained communist rebel leader Alan Jazmines when they receive a legal order from civilian authorities.

Armed Forces chief Gen. Ricardo David said without an order, they cannot free the member of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CCP) central committee because he is facing criminal cases in court. 

“Whatever is the requirement of the government, if we are ordered (to release) Jazmines, then we will,” he said.

In Western Samar, troops arrested another top communist rebel.

Army chief Lt. Gen. Arturo Ortiz said Ericson Acosta, alias Augusto Lim, is now in the custody of the police in Gandara, Western Samar following his arrest in San Jorge town on Sunday.

Acosta is the deputy secretary of the CPP’s Samar Provincial Party of the Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee, he added.

Ortiz said Acosta was arrested when he tried to pull out a grenade from his pocket when troops led by 2Lt. Jacob Madarang approached him as he was boarding a pump boat for Poblacion, St. Jorge at about 10 a.m.

Acosta also gave the troops conflicting statements about his real identity, he added.

Acosta later admitted that he is the CPP deputy secretary in Samar, Ortiz said.

Troops seized from Acosta a laptop with complete accessories, spare battery, an external hard drive, Globe USB broadband, one unit Nokia 3530, six pieces of SIM cards, P4,800 in cash and personal belongings.

Police filed criminal charges of illegal possession of explosive against Acosta before the Gandara Regional Trial Court Branch 41.

Bello seeks release of rebel

In Ilagan, Isabela, former justice secretary Silvestre Bello III is seeking the release of a top communist rebel to allow him to join the peace talks with the government in Oslo, Norway.

The former head of the government peace panel said Randy Malayao must be included in the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) between the government and the National Democratic Front (NDF).

Malayao, whom the military tagged as the New People’s Army spokesman in Northern Luzon, is detained at the provincial jail for the killing of soldiers in San Mariano and the assault of two soldiers in Quirino.

Malayao was also implicated in the assassinations of former Cagayan governor Rodolfo Aguinaldo in 2001 and Ilagan Mayor Delfinito Albano in 2005.

Gov’t asked to tackle displacement of farmers

The government and the NDF were urged to tackle the displacement of farmers in Central Luzon during the resumption of peace talks in Norway.

Joseph Canlas, Alyansa ng mga Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luson (AMGL) chairman, said farmers from different provinces have been displaced as a result of the government’s comprehensive plan of infrastructure projects.

“In Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Aurora and Pangasinan, their farms are in danger of being converted, thus this is a very serious matter not just for the region but for the whole country as this would gravely affect our food production, especially rice.

“We urge the peace panels to tackle this issue as this is the root cause of the armed conflict — land disputes, and farmers being stripped of their rights. It is very awkward that they are talking about peace while farmers in the region are being kicked out of their farms.”

Canlas said Hacienda Luisita farm workers are in danger of being displaced given the landowners’ plan to convert the remaining 4,900 hectares of agricultural lands into industrial, commercial and residential estates.

Massive land grabbing and displacement of farmers in the region are related to the implementation of the “super-regions” program of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, a part of the Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan drafted during the Ramos administration, transforming the region into an “economic corridor,” he added.

Canlas said the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway in Pampanga and Tarlac, SCTEx 3 from Tarlac to Nueva Ecija, Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEx), Central Luzon Expressway Phase 1 and 2 (CLEx) from Tarlac to northern Nueva Ecija, Northern Luzon Expressway East (NLEx East), La Mesa Parkway are attracting land grabbers and speculators targeting lands of small farmers. – With Raymund Catindig, Rhodina Villanueva, Jose Rodel Clapano