PRESS RELEASE
Information Bureau
Communist Party of the Philippines

NDFP DEMANDS IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF EDUARDO SERRANO
May 10, 2004

Reference:
Ruth de Leon
Secretariat
NDFP Negotiating Panel
+3130 - 2310431

The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) on Saturday demanded the immediate release of Mr. Eduardo Serrano to the custody of his own lawyers. The NDFP called the arrest and incommunicado detention of Serrano as a blatant violation of the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) and the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL).

Serrano was arrested on May 2 in Lipa City, Batangas, by elements of the intelligence service of the Philippine Army (PA) and has been held incommunicado ever since in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig, Metro Manila.

In a letter to Atty. Silvestre Bello III, Chairman of the Negotiating Panel of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP), Fidel V. Agcaoili, member of the NDFP Negotiating Panel and chairman of the NDFP Monitoring Committee, pointed out that Serrano was one of the participants during consultations conducted by him and Ms. Coni Ledesma, also a member of the NDFP panel, while they were in the Philippines from 11 April to 2 May 2004 in connection with the formation of the Joint Secretariat of the Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC).

As a participant to the consultations, "Serrano is covered by the JASIG," and should have been guaranteed safety from arrest "�in going to, attending, and leaving the consultations to return to his area of work".

He added that, "The only reason�Mr. Serrano agreed to take time out from his work among the masses in Mindoro provinces�was to attend our consultations".

Agcaoili condemned the abduction of Serrano and his being held incommunicado, saying that these are blatant and gross violations of provisions of the JASIG and the CARHRIHL, and even of the provisions on civil liberties of the GRP's own constitution. He also accused the GRP of insincerity in the ongoing peace talks, exploiting the formation of the JMC to gather information on the NDFP and arrest its personnel operating in the Philippines. He said that the GRP and its military "�have embarked on a systematic campaign of terror and repression against the Filipino people and (NDFP personnel)�", and took special note "�of the summary killings of leaders and members of progressive party lists and the armed raids conducted on their offices�" ##

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