Detained communist rebels to receive medical aid Saturday

MANILA, Philippines – Forty New Bilibid Prison inmates convicted of rebellion charges will be receiving medical aid on Saturday courtesy of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process. An OPAPP statement on Wednesday said that the beneficiaries will be members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) and its breakaway group, Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawang Pilipino-Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Bongcayao Brigade (RPMP-RPA-ABB). Most of the recipients have been serving their terms for more than 20 years, the statement said. The medical mission is in connection with the OPAPP’s celebration of the 5th National Peace Consciousness Month and is part of its confidence-building measures extended to rebel groups. Other agencies such as the Medical Action Group, the Task Force Detainees of the Philippines, the Bureau of Corrections, the Commission on Human Rights and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office will assist OPAPP. Meanwhile, the OPAPP is doubling its efforts to process the papers of about 25 detained RPA-ABB who are scheduled to be released on December this year. There are at least 67 communist rebels serving their jail terms at the New Bilibid Prison and other penal colonies in the country. Of this number, 60 come from the RPMP-RPA-ABB and seven from the CPP-NPA-NDF, the statement said. Since August 2004, formal negotiations between the government and the CPP-NPA-NDF rebels have been halted after the NDF withdrew from the talks to protest the listing by the United States and the European Union tagging the CPP-NPA and its founding chairman as terrorists. The government, however, proceeded with backchannel talks with the groups since May 2008. - Sophia Dedace, GMANews.TV