Communist rebels urge Duterte to free more political prisoners

The communist rebels have urged Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to free more prisoners as peace talks between the government and the rebels resume this week in Oslo, Norway to end Asia's longest communist insurgency, the rebels said in a statement on Monday.

The rebels said they are considering to match the indefinite ceasefire declared by Duterte if the government will release five more detained rebel leaders who will act as "consultants" in the talks plus the 520 other "political prisoners" who continue to languish in jails.

The rebels are also demanding the"immediate release" of a male peasant leader in Quezon province who was arrested on Aug. 12 and a female"missionary" who was arrested on Friday in Cebu City.

But Duterte in a news conference early Sunday said he is not inclined to release more prisoners, saying he had already released 20 including the two highest-ranking rebel leaders who are already in Oslo. "Now if I will release all the prisoners, the (rebels) already in custody, then there's no point negotiating. I will be left with no more cards."

The government declared after midnight on Sunday an indefinite ceasefire to pave the way for the Oslo talks.

The rebels have also declared a 7-day ceasefire beginning after midnight Sunday. The stalled on-an-off formal negotiations between the two sides are expected to start in Oslo on Monday.

"The Communist Party of the Philippines hopes it could soon match (the government's) indefinite ceasefire declaration with a unilateral declaration of an interim ceasefire. This declaration can be issued soon after the completion of the release of at least five more (rebel) consultants and around 520 political prisoners nationwide through a presidential proclamation of general amnesty as earlier broached by (Duterte)," the rebels said.

"Hopefully, Duterte can issue such a proclamation soon after the resumption of peace talks in order to encourage the CPP to expeditiously issue its declaration of interim ceasefire during the course of the peace negotiations."

The rebels said these issues are among the top items in the agenda of the scheduled talks on August 22-26 in Oslo between the negotiating panels of the government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, the umbrella organization of Marxist groups including the CPP, and its armed group, the New People's Army.

"The CPP and all revolutionary forces recognize the extra effort of Duterte to boost the peace talks," the rebels said.

"After the current 7-day ceasefire declaration by the CPP lapses on Aug. 27, and until the CPP can issue a unilateral declaration of interim ceasefire, the CPP can task the NPA to stand down and remain on active defense," said the rebels. "Details will be issued after the Oslo talks."

Aside from the release of their detained comrades, the rebels also expressed concern over particular provisions of the operational guidelines reissued by the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

"In these guidelines, the chief of staff orders AFP troops to continue with so-called 'peace and development' operations under the much-detested Oplan Bayanihan. These operations, such as those being carried out in Davao del Norte, have been used in the past to justify the militarization of communities in the guerrilla zones and to carry out surveillance and harassment operations against community activists and leaders whom the AFP suspects of being members of local CPP branches and peasant organizations," the rebels said.

The rebels also demanded that the military withdraw its forces in some areas and to stop making arrests of their comrades.

(APD)