EXTRADITION OF CPP LEADER SISON FROM THE

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANILA 003373 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/25/2010 TAGS: PREL PINS RP NL SUBJECT: EXTRADITION OF CPP LEADER SISON FROM THE NETHERLANDS Classified By: A/DCM Scott Bellard, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (S) According to National Security Adviser Bert Gonzales, the GRP has now agreed to the final Dutch condition on the extradition of Communist Party of the Philippines leader Jose Maria "Joma" Sison, who has long been resident in but not able to win formal political asylum from the Netherlands. During the week of July 25, President Arroyo will sign an official letter requesting extradition and promising that Sison would not face the death penalty even if found guilty in court. Gonzales noted that similar written assurances had been effective in extradition requests from Hong Kong. ¶2. (S) Action request: We should weigh in also to encourage the Netherlands to accept this promise and proceed with the extradition so that Sison could at long last face criminal charges. Although the GRP retains the death penalty on its books, the reality is that it rarely enforces this sentence. MUSSOMELI