Manila court orders arrest of Joma Sison, 37 others for murder

September 6, 2019

A Manila City Regional Trial Court has ordered the arrest of Communist Party of the Philippines founder Joma Sison, his wife and 36 members of the organization for mass murder.

In a verdict dated August 28, copy of which was received by the Department of Justice, Judge Thelma Bunyi-Medina of the Manila City RTC Branch 32, issued a warrant of arrest against Sison and his co-accused in the so-called “Inopacan massacre”carried out by the CPP leadership against its members accused of various offenses in Leyte in the 1980s.

Sison and his wife Juliet, a former peace negotiator for the National Democratic Front, have been in self-exile in the Netherlands for three decades.

Also ordered arrested were Luis Jalandoni, National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) senior adviser; Rodolfo Salas alias Ka Bilog, a former CPP chair who was arrested in 1986 and granted amnesty in 1992 by former President Fidel Ramos; Leo Velasco, a communist consultant; Jose Luneta, co-founder of Kabataang Makabayan and former CPP secretary general who passed away in Germany in May 2018; Prudencio Calubid, NDFP consultant; and Sarmiento Eduardo, NDFP consultant.

The following are in the warrant of arrest: 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.

No bail was recommended.

The murder case was filed against Sison and other CPP leaders in 2006 after skeletons of 67 alleged victims were discovered in Subang Daku Village in Inopacan town.

Sison claimed he was under maximum security detention and "was not in any position then to go over the head of the leadership of the CPP and revolutionary movement."

"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," Sison said in a Facebook post. DMS