6 November 1999
The National Democratic Front of the Philippines vigorously condemns the inhumane treatment of NPA Commander Parago Sandoval (Leoncio "Leonardo" Pitao) by the Estrada regime's armed forces. Presently in the custody of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP), Parago Sandoval was kept incommunicado for about 34 hours, denied any food for 19 hours after his arrest. He was denied sleep as he was subjected to interrogation while also denied his right to counsel. When finally allowed to meet his counsel, military officers listened in on his private conversation with his counsel. His hands were continuously handcuffed. Despite suffering from a splitting headache and intense pain from an old bullet wound, he has been denied medical attention and care from a doctor of choice.
These are gross violations of the Geneva Conventions and Protocols regarding the treatment of prisoners of war. This inhuman treatment of NPA Commander Parago Sandoval is in stark contrast to the humane treatment accorded by Comrade Parago, as head of the NPA custodial force, to prisoners of war, Brig. Gen. Victor Obillo and Capt. Eduardo Montealto when the latter were in NPA custody for almost two months from February to April this year. Comrade Parago faithfully complied with the provisions of the Geneva Conventions and Protocols, the Rules of the NPA and the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL), while successfully evading more than 4,000 troops sent by the Estrada regime in a vain attempt to rescue Gen. Obillo and Capt. Montealto.
After the capture by the NPA of Gen. Obillo and Capt. Montealto in February this year, numerous Church and human rights organizations and individuals called on the NDFP to release Gen. Obillo and other prisoners of war on humanitarian grounds in order to foster the advance of the GRP-NDFP peace negotiations. The NDFP complied and, with Comrade Parago playing a key role as head of the NPA custodial force, carried out the safe and orderly release of Gen. Obillo and four other prisoners of war.
The NDFP now calls on all those Church and human rights organizations and individuals as well as other advocates for a just and lasting peace to exert effective pressure on the Estrada regime to immediately accord humane treatment to Comrade Parago, fully respect his right to counsel without any restriction, his right to be visited by his family and given medical care by an independent doctor of choice, and above all to be treated as a prisoner of war and be released just as Gen. Obillo and other prisoners of war were released by the NDFP.
Luis G. Jalandoni Chairperson, NDFP Negotiating Panel