via Joy Gumatay
Earlier today, Solicitor General Jose C. Calida, the government’s top lawyer, filed before the different courts a Manifestation for the Issuance of Recommitment Orders of the NDF Consultants.
“Due to the eventual termination of the peace negotiations in Oslo, Norway and the cancellation of the backchannel talks in the Netherlands, the NDF Consultants who were granted conditional release should be recommitted and their respective bonds should likewise be cancelled,” Calida said.
“The Supreme Court, in several Resolutions, laid down the conditions for the provisional liberty of NDF personalities Satur Ocampo, Randall Echanis and Vicente Ladlad. One of the conditions provide that once the peace negotiations are terminated, their bonds are deemed automatically cancelled,” Calida said. “Since all judicial decisions form part of the law of the land, the courts can now issue recommitment orders as these NDF consultants are similarly situated to Echanis and Ladlad.”
According to Calida, President Duterte’s declaration that the CPP/NPA/NDF is an enemy of the State signifies that any peace negotiations with them have been rendered inutile and therefore must officially end.
Twenty-one NDF personalities, accused of various criminal cases pending before different trial courts in the country, were granted conditional release by the trial courts to enable them to participate in the peace negotiations in Oslo, Norway. (OSG-PR)
