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INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE DEFEND SLAMS
FALSE CHARGES AGAINST PROF. SISON IN SURIGAO
Press Statement
July 8, 2008
Every time the New People's Army carries out a tactical offensive against the
military and police in the Philippines, the military and police authorities file with
the prosecutor's office charges of rebellion and common crimes like murder and
robbery against Prof. Jose Maria Sison, chairperson of the International League
of Peoples' Struggle (ILPS) and chief political consultant of the National Democratic
Front of the Philippines (NDFP) in peace negotiations with the Government of
the Republic of the Philippines (GRP).
Thus, in the wake of the successful raids conducted by the NPA on two police
stations and a paramilitary detachment in Surigao del Norte last June 26, the
reactionary military and police authorities have filed charges of rebellion and
robbery against Netherlands-based political refugee Prof. Sison and against
Mindanao-based NDFP consultant Jorge Madlos together with 15 civilians arbitrarily
arrested by the military sometime after the raiding units of the NPA had already
withdrawn safely.
As we have done in all previous false charges against Prof. Sison, we the
International Committee DEFEND vigorously denounce the new filing of false
charges against Prof. Sison. This increases the continuing outrage of the people
in the Philippines over the violations of the law by GRP authorities and the
wastage of public resources.
According to the Hernandez political offense doctrine in Philippine jurisprudence,
a person can be charged only with simple rebellion, which can neither be multiplied
nor complexed with common crimes. Prof. Sison has absolutely nothing to do
with the aforesaid NPA raids. He is outside of GRP jurisdiction and is under the
protection of the Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human
Rights.
The GRP authorities are merely wasting public funds and practically misappropriating
these by filing false charges against Prof. Sison and by misusing prosecution offices
and courts in cases that have no factual and legal basis and are oppressive in character.
The GRP is bankrupt and does not have an abundance of financial resources like the
Dutch government which the GRP has fooled and hoodwinked into spending millions
of euros to oppress Prof. Sison with the false charge of inciting the murder of the
military agents, Romulo Kintanar and Arturo Tabara.
The malicious ultra-reactionary forces in the Philippine, Dutch, European and US
governments are using false charges to oppress Prof. Jose Maria Sison, stigmatize
him and pressure the NDFP Negotiating Panel. They are in fact sabotaging the
GRP-NDFP peace negotiations by hurling the false charges of terrorism, rebellion
and common crimes against Prof. Sison and by trying to disable him from performing
well his role as NDFP chief political consultant.###
For reference please contact:
Coni Ledesma, Spokesperson
International Committee DEFEND
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 00-31-30-8895306
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