Removing Joma Sison from terrorist list is US’ prerogative—DND

Joma Sison. FILE PHOTO

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said they see no problem with the Philippines’ plan to request the United States to de-list Communist Party of the Philippines founding chairman Jose Maria Sison from the list of international terrorists.

The recommendation of the government is to allow “for his Philippine homecoming without being arrested,” according to the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (Opapp).

“Bahala na yung US kung pakinggan tayo kung ide-delist o hindi. That’s actually the prerogative of the US to de-list or not de-list people in their list who are terrorists,” Lorenzana told reporters in a press briefing on Thursday.

The de-listing of Sison was one of the recommendations agreed upon by the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front on their fourth day of peace negotiations in Rome.

READ: PH to ask US to remove Joma Sison from terrorist list

Sison sought asylum in the Netherlands and he can be barred from re-entering Europe once he travels outside EU countries. The US, which has control of the International Police (Interpol), can always arrest Sison outside Europe.

The Opapp said that that the inclusion of Sison in the US terrorist list “has become a stumbling block” for him to come home to the Philippines.

Once Sison is removed from the international terrorist list, he will be allowed to attend the succeeding peace talks outside Europe. JE