The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said yesterday that seven of the 14 peace negotiators of the National Democratic Front (NDF) have already arrived in the country from Rome, Italy where the last round of the failed peace talks between the government and the communist rebels was held.
The BI announcement confirmed earlier statement of the NDF that all its participants who left the country between Jan. 14 and 18 returned simultaneously on Jan. 31.
BI officials who declined to be named identified them as spouses Benito and Wilma Tiamzon, Adelberto Silva, Alfredo Mapano, Tirso Alcantara, Pedro Codaste and Alan Jazminez.
The BI has no records whether the seven others left the country for the talks in Rome, or used different names in flying out and returning to the country.
They were identified as Concha Araneta Bocala, Ernesto Lorenza, Eduardo Genelsa, Ariel Arbitrario, Runel Saluta, Jaime Solidad, Keneddy Bangibang..
Arbitrario was arrested by the Army troopers belonging to Task Force Davao the other day.
President Duterte ordered Philippine National Police chief Ronald dela Rosa to arrest the peace negotiators following the collapse of the talks. (Jun Ramirez)