Court OKs travel for CPP leaders
A Manila court has allowed Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) leaders Benito Tiamzon, Adelberto Silva and three others to travel abroad to participate in the resumption of peace talks with the Philippine government this month.
In a five-page order issued on Friday, the Regional Trial Court of Manila Branch 32 granted the Motion to Travel Abroad filed by Tiamzon, Silva, Rafael Baylosis, Randall Echanis and Vicente Ladlad, permitting them to travel abroad from June 22-30 to join the informal and formal peace talks.
The respondents are among the accused in a murder case stemming from the discovery of the mass grave in Leyte containing suspected victims of the communist rebel purge in the 1980s.
They were released from detention in August 2016 to join the peace negotiations as consultants of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.
The court, however, ordered their re-arrest in January following the request of the Department of Justice after the talks were terminated in November last year.
Tiamzon and Silva argued that the peace negotiations between the government and the NDFP are "currently underway," after President Rodrigo Duterte in April bared his plans to revive the peace talks.
"Thus, they entreat that their bail bonds be reinstated and declared effective for the duration of the peace negotiations," the order read.
The respondents also said they have been invited by NDFP negotiating panel chair Fidel Agcaoili to attend the informal talks which will be followed by the formal talks.
They also said they have respective functions during the event, which they claimed "are indispensable."
"After a careful consideration of the arguments of both parties, the Court grants the accusedmovants' Motion to Travel Abroad," the court's order read.
The respondents, however, were required to strictly follow the rules the court set for their provisional liberty, including the requirement to return to the country within three calendar days after the completion of the informal and formal talks.
Tiamzon and Silva are likewise required to post another P100,000 bond as their previous bail bonds have already been cancelled.