By Rudy Santos
MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of Immigration confirmed that couple Benito and Wilma Tiamson – chairman and secretary general, respectively, of the Communist Party of the Philippines – and other consultants of the National Democratic Front (NDF) were not arrested when they returned to the country last Jan. 31 after attending the peace talks in Rome.
Red Mariñas, chief of the bureau’s Port Operations Division at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, said President Duterte only ordered their arrest a few days ago after the unilateral ceasefire was lifted.
The NDF said all 17 of its consultants – released from prison in August and who participated in the peace talks in Oslo, Norway and Rome, Italy – are back in the country and are “not in hiding.”
The NDF has 22 consultants to help in the talks between the government and the communist rebels to end five decades of conflict.
A day after ending the truce, Duterte also terminated the formal peace negotiations.
Duterte said he was ordering the government peace panel to “fold up the tents and come home.”
“Peace talks would remain canceled unless there is a compelling reason that will benefit the interest of the nation,” he added.
Duterte lifted the ceasefire after New People’s Army (NPA) rebels killed three soldiers and kidnapped three other troops in separate incidents.
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