Communists vow Dutch nationals won’t be hurt in RP

By Ronron
September 2, 2007

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) on Sunday called the Dutch travel advisory for its citizens who wish to travel to the Philippines as “overreaction” and assured that its armed elements with the New People’s Army (NPA) will not hurt any Dutch national following the apprehension of CPP founding chairman Jose Maria Sison in the Netherlands last week.

CPP spokesman Gregorio “Ka Roger” Rosal said in a statement that the CPP-NPA clearly makes a distinction between the government and the people of the Netherlands, some of which are even “one with the Filipino people in their outrage and protest” over the arrest of Sison.

“Dutch nationals are definitely not targets of the New People’s Army, nor of mass protest actions in the Philippines… We regard Dutch nationals as friends and not as enemies. In fact, the NDFP (National Democratic Front of the Philippines) is working with the Dutch people in the struggle for Ka Joma’s vindication and freedom,” Rosal said.

“We extend our invitation for the Dutch people to visit the country, see the oppression and suffering of the Filipino people, and unite with them in their resistance,” he added.

Sison was apprehended last August 28 by Dutch authorities for allegedly inciting the murder of two former rebel leaders, Romulo Kintanar and Arturo Tabara in 2003 and 2004, respectively, in Quezon City. The arrest was made after the wives of Kintanar and Tabara filed a criminal case in the Netherlands, where Sison has been on exile since 1987.

For fear that the armed rebels will retaliate through their nationals, the Dutch government ordered the travel advisory against the Philippines.

But Rosal assured that this will not happen, they even welcome Dutch nationals “to the revolutionary areas where their safety will be fully guaranteed.”

The Philippine military and police have raised their alerts to the highest level immediately after the arrest of Sison in anticipation of retaliatory attacks by the NPA./DMS