The government denied on Friday that it was unjustly restricting the access of the National Democratic Front to their leaders being detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center inside Camp Crame in Quezon City.
In a statement, the government peace panel branded as “false” the assertion of Randall Echanis and Rafael Baylosis of the NDF that they were denied access to Communist Party of the Philippines leaders Benito and Wilma Tiamzon without explanation.
It explained that the PNP duty officer on the day of the incident, April 13, told the two visitors that as a matter of standard operating procedure, they need at least one week to process visit requests.
But it said Enchanis and Baylosis handed their request letter only on the said date and the PNP had to “regretfully” inform the two that their request cannot be granted. It said the two were then advised to reschedule their visit.
“While visits are given the highest priority for immediate relatives, counsels, or their doctors, all others who do not fall under these categories have to undergo the usual scrutiny and process, which require an application submitted days in advance,” it said.
And with the “distorted” information being disseminated by the NDF, the government panel said it is “constrained” from making its “usual ready endorsement” to the PNP relative to their request made through NDF Monitoring Committee for Human Rights secretariat head Issa Dumanjug Palo, for a rescheduled visit to the Tiamzons.
