MANILA (UPDATED) - The Supreme Court on Friday approved the provisional release of two communist leaders ahead of the scheduled peace talks between government negotiators and representatives of the communist insurgency in Oslo.

In its resolution, the High Court confirmed the provisional liberty of Saturnino C. Ocampo, Randall B. Echanis, and Vicente P. Ladlad under their respective cash bonds.

The court said the provisional liberty of Echanis and Ladlad is only for the purposed of their attendance and participation in the formal peace negotiations in Oslo, Norway commencing in August 2016 up to six months after, or as soon as the peace negotiations are concluded or terminated.

The two were also ordered to provide their complete contact information in the Philippines and Norway to the Regional Trial Court of Manila, Branch 32.

On the other hand, the SC forfeited the P100,000 cash bond of Rafael Baylosis, who remains at large.

The Solicitor General earlier sought the release of 11 individuals who have pending criminal cases before various trial courts in different parts of the country but who were key members of the National Democratic Front Panel. They are:

1. Tirso Alcantara
2. Alex Birondo
3. Winona Birondo
4. Maria Concepcion Bocala
5. Reynante Gamara
6. Alan Jazmines
7. Vicente Ladlad
8. Ma. Loida Magpatoc
9. Adelberto Silva
10. Benito Tiamzon
11. Wilma Tiamzon

In its decision, the SC said the grant of temporary and conditional liberty to the other personalities "does not merely involve the suspension of the application of the technical rules of procedure."

"On the contrary, it concerns the substantive issue of jurisdiction that belongs not to this Court but in the Regional Trial Courts hearing the various cases which are now in different stages. To grant temporary and conditional liberty to these personalities may have the inadvertent but irremediable effect of pre-empting the trial courts' own determinations in the exercise of their original jurisdiction to try the cases before them."

"As such, appropriate motions and pleadings should be filed for the consideration of the trial courts."

Edre Olalia, legal consultant of the NDFP Panel, welcome the Court's resolution in general despite serious concern that additional restrictions were imposed on Ladlad and Echanis and that the release of the first set of NDFP peace consultants were not granted directly.

"We still hope the releases will be expedited despite the delays and that the process be made simpler. We remain optimistic that the GRP and all its agencies and concerned officials will do everything to comply in good faith with its commitments to release the detained NDFP peace consultants so that they can timely participate in the formal peace negotiations starting August 20 in Oslo."

"We trust that the trial courts handling the cases of these consultants will keenly take into account the sense of the Court as a barometer in considering motions for their release based on their urgency and import in the higher interests of peace and unity."