State forces illegally arrested Simeon “Ka Filiw” Naogsan, National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) peace consultant and Cordillera People’s Democratic Front (CPDF) spokesperson, on October 21, in Barangay 1, Sta. Rita, Bacarra, Ilocos Norte. Naogsan was recovering after a hospital treatment when he was arrested, his family said.

His family said uniformed men surrounded and barricaded the house where he was staying at 5:00 a.m., and prohibited the neighbors from leaving their houses while the arrest was being carried out.

Naogsan was first taken to the Baccara Municipal Police Station and was later removed from the station without informing his family. The family only learned that he was taken to the hospital and taken to the Ilocos Norte Provincial Police Office in Laoag City. The family and a paralegal were only allowed to visit Naogsan for a limited time at the police station. They were also prohibited from taking his picture.

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) condemned the arrest of Naogsan and demanded his immediate release. CPP information officer Marco Valbuena said the arrest of Ka Filiw is a violation of the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG). Under JASIG, Naogsan’s right to protection against arrest and other acts of harassment should be respected.

The JASIG was signed by representatives of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the NDFP on February 24, 1995, in Nieuwegein, The Netherlands.

Valbuena said that Ka Filiw was arrested “to punish him for serving the broad masses of workers, peasants, minorities, and other oppressed classes and sectors, especially in the Ilocos-Cordillera region.”

Human rights groups in Ilocos and Cordillera called for Naogsan’s release on humanitarian grounds. The Naogsan family is worried about Ka Filiw’s health. In a statement released through the Ilocos Human Rights Alliance, they appealed for Naogsan to be treated humanely and for his rights to be respected.

Naogsan’s arrest follows the arrest of another NDFP peace consultant, Porferio Tuna, in Tagum City, Davao del Norte, on October 20. “These arrests do not help build confidence in peace negotiations and cast serious doubts on the intentions of the Philippine government regarding peace negotiations with the NDFP,” Valbuena said.