Manila: Seven militant lawmakers who represent five sectoral parties at the House of Representatives filed a resolution asking President Benigno Aquino to release before the end of 2011 some 354 leftist political prisoners.
The lawmakers said the move would be a goodwill measure for the resumption of peace talks between the Philippine government and communist rebels.
The political prisoners, including 13 consultants of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) which has been engaged in peace talks with the Philippine government since 1992, must be released, said Congressmen Teodoro Casino and Neri Colmenareas of Nation First; Luzviminda Ilagan and Emerenciana de Jesus of Gabriela Women's Group; Rafael Mariano of the Children of Sweat; Raymundo Palatino of the young party-list and Antonio Tinio of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers.
The NDFP represents the 45-year-old Communist Party of the Philippines and its military arm, the New People's Army.
