CPPhilippines Information - Ka Bart continues to languish in prison

By CPP Information Bureau

02 January 2012

**After one year, Ka Bart continues to languish in prison in violation
of peace agreement -- CPP**

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today assailed the
continued detention of National Democratic Front of the Philippines
(NDFP) peace consultant and NDFP Southern Tagalog representative Tirso
“Ka Bart” Alcantara. Ka Bart was arrested on January 3, 2011 in
violation of the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees
(JASIG).

The CPP recalled that Ka Bart was arrested just days before the
resumption of formal peace talks early last year. “His arrest by the
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) was a direct assault on the
peace process. His continued detention as well as the continuing
incarceration of 12 other NDFP consultants underscore the failure of
the Philippine government to fulfill its obligations in its peace
negotiations with the NDFP.”

Other consultants of the NDFP who remain detained in various prison
facilities include Alan Jazmines, Randy Malayao, Edgardo Friginal,
Eduardo Serrano, Eduardo Sarmiento, Leopoldo Caloza, Emeterio Antalan,
Ramon Patriarca, Danilo Badayos, Alfredo Mapano, Pedro Codaste and
Edwin Brigano. They are among more than 350 political prisoners still
languishing in jail. Seventy of these prisoners were arrested under
the Aquino regime.

“In negotiations with the NDFP, the Aquino regime has repeatedly
promised to expedite the release of the NDFP consultants in order to
allow them to carry out their duties in the peace negotiations,”
said the CPP. “Such a commitment was made three times in the past
year, twice in signed agreements in January and February, and once in
consultation with the Norwegian third-party facilitator in
September.”

“To push forward the peace negotiations between the NDFP and the
Philippine government, the CPP and all revolutionary forces reiterate
the demand for the immediate release of Ka Bart and all other NDFP
consultants,” said the CPP. “The Aquino regime continues to
condone violations of the JASIG and has resorted to vulgarizing the
standing agreements with the NDFP in the hope of pushing the
revolutionary forces away from the negotiating table and putting an
end to the peace negotiations.”

“By failing to fulfill its obligation to release Ka Bart and all
other NDFP peace consultants, the Aquino regime bares its lack of
interest in pursuing the peace negotiations,” said the CPP. “It is
only interested in using the peace talks as a tool for the
capitulation and pacification of the revolutionary forces within the
framework of its Oplan Bayanihan war of suppression.”

“Under Oplan Bayanihan, the Aquino regime commits gross violations
of human rights as stipulated in the Comprehensive Agreement on
Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law
(CARHRIHL),” said the CPP.



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