MANILA – A Manila City court on Friday ordered the arrest of Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria Sison, his wife and 36 other members of the organization due to murder.
In an arrest warrant issued by Judge Thelma Bunyi-Medina of the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 32, Sison and fellow respondents were tagged in “Inopacan massacre,” a 1980s purge of CPP members accused of various offenses in Leyte province.
Sison and his wife Juliet, a former communist peace negotiator, have been in self-exile in the Netherlands for around three decades now.
Also ordered arrested were Luis Jalandoni, Rodolfo Salas alias “Ka Bilog,” Leo Velasco, Jose Luneta, Prudencio Calubid, Sarmiento Eduardo, Geronimo Pasetes, Francisco Pascual, Jr., Mil Lominion, Fortunato Felicilda, Benjamin Beringel, Quirino Quinawayan, Fernando Rachel, Pecario Sonana, Jesus Solayao, Lino Salazar, Alfredo Taladro, Tito Gabar, Muco Lubong, Felix Dumali, Ciriaca Malimot, Luzviminda Orillo, Anselmo Balduhesa, Alfredo Mabingay, Bertino Oroza, Bonifacio Padoc, Rodrigo Paplona, Prescillono Beringel, Anastacio Dorias, Nick Ruiz, Sammy Labarda, Charlie Fortaliza, Luis Villena, Rolando Caballera, Donata Lumbrento, and Luz Abejo.
The murder case against the respondents was filed in 2006 after skeletons of 67 alleged victims were discovered in Subang Daku Village in Inopacan town. No bail was recommended for them.
Sison, meanwhile, branded the case as diversionary tactic, alleging that then National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon collected bones from various cemeteries and accused them.
Sison said he was under maximum security detention during the time of the crime and “was not in any position then to go over the head of the leadership of the CPP and revolutionary movement.”
He added the list of the respondents were “utterly stupid and obviously fabricated,” claiming it included other individuals who were jailed during the supposed massacre and several others “who are already dead for various health reasons.”
“The current news splash about the fake Inopacan murder charge is intended by the Duterte regime to draw away public attention from the scandalous release of 2,000 criminals convicted of drug trading, murder, rape and other heinous crimes,” said Sison./PN
