Start talks on PH-Netherlands extradition treaty, gov’t urged

TRIAL FOR SISON. The League of Parents of the Philippines (LPP) led by LPP Chair Remedios Rosadio (2nd from right), demands the return of Communist Party of the Philippines-New Peoples Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) founder Jose Maria Sison to the Philippines to face trial, during a press conference at Quezon Memorial Circle, Quezon City on Friday (Dec. 6, 2019). The group said that mass actions and rallies will continue unless the Dutch Government sends Joma Sison back to the Philippines. (PNA photo by Oliver Marquez)

MANILA— A group of parents on Friday called on the government to start the discussion on an extradition treaty between the Netherlands and the Philippines to allow the handover of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria Sison’s custody to the government.

The call by the League of Parents of the Philippines (LPP) was made following their meeting on December 5 with the Dutch Embassy in Manila, who underscored that their “hands are tied” on the group’s request to deport the CPP chief home.

“Tatay Digong (President Rodrigo Duterte), kami ay inimbitahan na sa Dutch embassy. Kami po ay pinakinggan, sabi nila their hands are tied at kami raw po ay lumapit din sa ating gobyerno para kung ano pong magagawa ng gobyerno (Tatay Digong, we were already invited by the Dutch Embassy. We were heard but they said their hands are tied and that we should also reach out to the government to see what they can do),” LPP member Arlene Eluwa said during a press conference in Quezon City.

“Kami po ay nanawagan sa gobyerno, let’s start this extradition treaty (We are urging the government, let’s start this extradition treaty),” she added.

At present, there are only 12 extradition treaties entered into by the Philippines with other countries and territories– Australia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Spain, Switzerland, South Korea, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

None has been signed yet with the Netherlands.

“Ang stand namin ay pauwiin si Joma Sison. ‘Yong Dutch embassy, willing naman silang mag-cooperate kaso wala tayong extradition treaty kaya hindi sila makagalaw (Our stand is for Joma Sison to be deported. The Dutch embassy is willing to cooperate but we don’t have an extradition treaty with them so they can’t do anything),” said Remy Rosadio, one of the LPP representatives, who attended the meeting with the embassy.

Eluwa said the meeting with the Dutch embassy is in itself a feat for a group of parents who had only recently taken to streets their petition to let the CPP face justice in the Philippines.

“This has been going on for 50 years pero ngayon lang lumabas ang mga magulang so kung kinakailangan magpapirma kami ng isang milyon o limang milyong pirma, sisimulan namin ‘yan (This has been going on for 50 years but it’s only now that the parents surfaced so if there’s a need to have a million or even five million signatures, we’ll start campaigning),” she added.

The CPP-NPA (New People’s Army) is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

Since 1992, the Netherlands has recognized Sison as a “political refugee” based on his alleged persecution by the Marcos regime.

At present, the Philippine government is working with the European Union to have Sison’s status revoked.

READ: Court orders arrest of Joma, wife, 36 others over NPA ‘purging’

Last August, Sison along with 37 others were ordered arrested by Regional Trial Court Branch 32 in Manila’s presiding judge Thelma Bunyi-Medina after finding probable cause that the “accused committed the offense as charged in the amended information” for the Inopacan massacre in Leyte.

Based on estimates of former rebels and the victims’ relatives, the Inopacan massacre or mass purging, dubbed by the NPA, CPP’s armed wing, as “Oplan Venereal Disease”, claimed the lives of about 300 residents in Leyte province.