The National Democratic Front of the Philippines and the Iglesia Filipina Independiente on Saturday demanded the release of an NDF’s peace consultant and an IFI bishop who were arrested in Ozamis City this week.
NDF chief negotiator Fidel Agcaoili said that Rommel Salinas, whom authorities described as the “most wanted” New People’s Army commander in Western Mindanao, “is a duly accredited person under the Jasig (Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees). He is the holder of Document of Identification No. ND978453 under the name of Hermie Abella.
Apart from Salinas, Bishop Carlos Morales was also arrested together with his wife Maria Teofilina, and their driver Isadome Dalid when they were stopped and apprehended at a checkpoint in Barangay Gango, Ozamis City on Thursday evening.
“Agcaoili slammed the illegal arrest last Thursday evening of NDFP consultant Rommel Salinas as another clear violation of Jasig,” the NDF statement read.
“It is obvious from the narration of events that Salinas had been conducting consultations with various sectors, including the religious, when he was arrested,” he added.
Police said Salinas has a standing warrants of arrest for “destructive arson, murder, frustrated murder, attempted murder, and robbery issued by court judges in Dinagat Island and Surigaro City.
Police said they found in Salinas’ possession a hand grenade, six cellphone units with assorted SIM cards, 25 battery packs, P80,700 in cash, a map of Misamis Occidental, a Lenovo tablet, a pair of rubber boots, a 12-inch bolo, prepaid cards and an NDF ID card.
Police said Morales is the secretary of the Secom Sendong, the largest unit of the CCP Western Mindanao Regional Party Command.
The bishop said he heard Salinas telling investigators that he is a consultant of the NDF.
The Aglipayan Church likewise condemned Morales’ arrest on Saturday.
“The Iglesia Filipina Independiente strongly denounces the illegal arrest of Bishop Carlos Morales and his wife Maria Teofilina, and two other companions, Isadome Dalis and Rommel [Salinas],” said IFI Obispo Maximo Ephraim Fajutagana.
In the same statement, the NDF denounced the “series of incidents involving a number of its consultants” which it considers to be “flagrant violations” of the Jsig.
Recently, NDF peace panel member and CPP chairman Benito Tiamzon and his wife Wilma, a political consultant, were allegedly tailed by military intelligence in Manila Tuesday night after meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte in Malacañang and visiting protesting farmers from Mindanao camping out at Mendiola.
After vainly trying to shake off the two men on a motorcycle who followed them, the Tiamzons decided to return to the protest camp where they found help evading their pursuers, Agcaoili said.
Agcaoili likewise cited other attacks against NDF consultants, as he urged the government to “look seriously into these incidents and take whatever measures are necessary, saying that they may have severe repercussions on the ongoing peace negotiations.”
“Other NDFP consultants who have also complained of surveillance include Ruben Saluta, Concha Araneta, Tirso Alcantara, Ernesto Lorenzo and Kennedy Bangibang,” Agcaoili said.
The NDFP peace panel chairman also expressed “grave concern” over reported military “shoot-to-kill” orders against Northern Mindanao NDFP consultant Pedro Codaste and supposed plans to abduct another consultant, Porferio Tuna.