The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Monday they will serve any pending warrant for the arrest of Fidel Agcaoili and Luis Jalandoni, raising the possibility of the duo’s arrest once they step into the country.
Agcaoili, chief negotiator of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines and Jalandoni, adviser to the NDFP peace panel, have expressed their interest to visit the country this month and plans to meet with President Duterte.
“Within the bounds of the law, if they have existing warrants of arrest, they will be arrested by our law-enforcement agencies,” said military spokesman Col. Noel Detoyato.
Still, Detoyato said, the military remains supportive of any peace initiative by the government.
On the other hand, PNP chief Director General Oscar D. Albayalde said that if Agcaoili and Jalandoni have pending arrest warrants issued by courts, then they will serve these as instructed.
“As of this time, there is no coordination with us, whether the Office of the President or probably the AFP,” he said
Duterte himself disclosed about the requests of Agcaoili and Jalandoni to meet him in the country this November, but did not say the reasons.
The plan was later confirmed by Agcaoili, who said in a statement that he and Coni Ledesma, a member of the NDFP panel, will travel to the country in relation to their work as members of the joint monitoring committee under an agreement with the government that seeks to preserve human rights during armed conflict.
The two would be accompanied by Jalandoni. “In this regard, we welcome the opportunity to meet with the President unless he does not want to or his military is against it,” Agacaoili said.
Peace talks between the government and the NDFP have been temporarily suspended by Duterte, who also ordered for the arrest of freed communist leaders serving as consultants to the negotiations.