MANILA, Philippines – President Duterte has instructed government peace panel chairman Silvestre Bello III to secure a ceasefire deal with the National Democratic Front (NDF) before he orders the release of detained communist rebels.

“Produce to me a signed bilateral ceasefire agreement and I will release them within 48 hours. You can take my word for it,” Bello said in a statement yesterday, quoting Duterte.

“The President told us that once he receives even just a facsimile copy of the signed agreement, he would immediately order the release of communist rebels,” added Bello, who is also labor secretary.

Duterte made a campaign promise to reopen peace negotiations with the NDF, which is representing the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA).

Bello and panel member Angela Librado-Trinidad sought instructions from Malacañang after the President met with top rebel leaders Benito and Wilma Tiamzon in Davao City last Friday evening. In the meeting, the President said he would keep his campaign promise to release detained communist rebels.

The NDF said 434 rebels are still being held in different detention centers all over the country.

Bello’s panel submitted a list of 200 prisoners eligible for release under the new guidelines of the Presidential Committee on Bail, Recognizance and Parole. Twenty-five of them are elderly, sick and women.

During the traditional lighting of the Malacañang Christmas tree on Monday night, Duterte said he could not release more than a hundred prisoners requested by the Left because the government has conceded so much already. But he would release old and sick political prisoners.

Rights advocates said the non-release of all political prisoners is a continuing violation of their rights.

“While it is true that President Duterte has effected the temporary release of 19 political prisoners in line with the peace talks, the non-release of all political detainees means perpetuation of the injustice against them which is promoted by a legal and justice system that has repeatedly failed them,” Karapatan secretary-general Cristina Palabay said yesterday.

“Lest the government’s use of the political prisoners as trump cards in the peace process will be seen as its vile attempt to set the stage to renege on its commitments and obligations, they should release all of them now.

“Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Secretary Jesus Dureza said that President Duterte has walked the “extra mile’ on the peace process, unlike past administrations which didn’t even move an inch to comply with their commitments and obligations. Sadly, Dureza and the government can’t keep up with the pace and thus seems to be stalling both parties’ peace efforts,” she added.

Karapatan pointed out that the government under the Duterte administration upheld all previously signed agreements, including the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, which explicitly states the obligation of the government to uphold the rights of citizens against unwarranted and unjustified arrest and detention and to correct the injustice against them.

“We also remind President Duterte and Secretary Dureza that peace efforts, specifically on the release of political prisoners, are not charity cases. It is an immediate obligation to render justice to the political prisoners by releasing them. So while President Duterte has taken bold steps to pursue peace talks with the NDF, these steps won’t become significant if his people are taking their sweet time,” Palabay said.

Both the government and the NDF have declared their own unilateral ceasefires, but the two camps are complaining about reported violations in the field.

For Bello, until both panels agree to a set of guidelines, “there are technically no violations.”

He said it is to the best interest of combatants from both sides, specially the civilians caught in the middle of the armed conflict, that a “formal ceasefire is in place so that we can monitor any claims of violations.” – With Rhodina Villanueva, Perseus Echeminada