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Prof. Sison’s legal victory exposes failure of Arroyo regime’s scheme — NDF
Posted By Davao Today
Published: April 7, 2009
http://davaotoday.com/2009/04/07/prof-sisons-legal-victory-exposes-failure-of-arroyo-regimes-scheme-ndf/
The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) negotiating
panel warmly congratulates Prof. Jose Maria Sison, its chief political
consultant, and his Dutch and Filipino lawyers led by Michiel Pestman,
for their great legal victory with the dismissal of the false charge against
Prof. Sison. For more than nineteen months, from August 28, 2007 until
March 31, 2009, the Dutch prosecutors, with the collusion of the Arroyo
regime and the US, tried in vain to pin down Prof. Sison with the false
charge of involvement in the killing of two military assets of the regime.
Prior to the arrest of Prof. Sison in August 2007, the Dutch prosecutors
with the collaboration of the Arroyo regime, especially General Eduardo
Ermita and National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales, heard testimonies
in the US embassy, the Dutch embassy and former US air base in Clark
Field in the Philippines, as well as testimonies in The Netherlands, seeking
to make the false charge against Prof. Sison stick. But to no avail. Prof.
Sison and his lead lawyer Michiel Pestman, supported by Filipino lawyers
led by Atty. Romeo T. Capulong, put up a strong defense.
It is not surprising that Norberto Gonzales is upset by the failure of their
scheme. He after all was tasked by the fake president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
to look after this case against Prof. Sison.
As head of the Inter-agency Legal Action Group (IALAG), the agency
tasked to trump up charges against the legal opposition and leaders and
members of progressive organizations, and to cover up the criminal acts
of military and police personnel responsible for extra-judicial killings and
enforced disappearances, his efforts since January 2006, a period of
three years and three months, have all been in vain.
This notorious violator of human rights now talks nonsense about “going
after” Prof. Sison and asking the Dutch government to “expel” him. He
is ignorant of the decisions of the highest administrative court in The
Netherlands, the Raad van State, of 1992 and 1995, declaring that Prof.
Sison is a recognized political refugee according to Article 1 A of the
Refugee Convention, and is covered by the absolute protection of Article
3 of the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.
This Article forbids his being returned to the Philippines, because this article
stipulates that he may not be subjected to torture or inhuman and degrading
treatment and punishment. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for
Refugees testified in his favor before the Raad van State. So did Amnesty
International.
Prof. Sison and his lawyers, with the wide political support of so many
organizations and personages in the Philippines and abroad, have indeed
won a great legal victory. Those who fight for justice, democracy and
peace rejoice with them.
For reference:
By Luis G. Jalandoni
Chairperson, NDFP Negotiating Panel
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