'Peace talks used to force rebels to surrender'

MANILA, Philippines -  Captured communist leader Alan Jazmines has accused the military and police of using the peace talks to force revolutionary troops to yield to the government.

Jazmines, a member of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) central committee, was nabbed by authorities in Baliuag, Bulacan, last Feb. 14, a day before the resumption of formal talks in Norway.

In a statement, Jazmines insisted that he is covered by the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) and that his arrest was a violation of previous peace agreements.

He added that the security forces would want to make it appear that the revolutionary forces are weak and have nothing to leverage on and gain from the peace talks.

“The leadership of the fascist AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) and PNP (Philippine National Police) want to show how easily they can violate all peace agreements,” Jazmines said.

“They want to use the peace process only to make the revolutionary forces capitulate,” he added.

Under the JASIG, officials, consultants and staff members of the National Democratic Front (NDF) who are involved in tasks related to the peace talks enjoy immunity from arrest. NDF represents the CPP and the New People’s Army in the peace negotiations.

Military officials have expressed doubts on CPP’s claim that Jazmines is an NDF peace consultant and therefore immune from arrest.

Jazmines’ statement was forwarded to reporters by Selda, a group of former political prisoners. Selda said Jazmines wanted his statement released to the media.

Responding to Jazmines’ allegations, the military said it is tasked to prevent violence from being used as leverage for the peace negotiations.

“The primary role of the AFP in the peace process is to ensure that the armed group with whom the government is talking peace with will be unable to use force or threaten to use force as leverage in the negotiating table,” AFP spokesman Brig. Gen. Jose Mabanta Jr. said in a text message.

Mabanta maintained that they will only use force when the security situation demands it. – With Jaime Laude