Technical Need help with a door latch rod clip

I have a 1956 Oldsmobile 4 door hardtop that the previous owner took all the outside door handles off without installing poppers. The dumb ass just smeared bondo over the holes. So now I'm knocking out the bondo and installing handles so I can open the doors. The front passenger side has the actuating rod still attached to the latch, The shop manual says to install the door handle and rod at the same time then attach it to the latch. Which is the only way you can but this idiot just bent the rod to get it off the door handle. For some reason I can not figure out what this clip needs to release the rod from the latch. I'm sure it is a simple task but I have fiddled with it for an hour and I don't want to break something. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

It's the top rod of the two in the picture.

 

View attachment 2187941 the End of the Clip needs to be lifted and slid outward to the left as it has a peg that locates it and when lifted and slid over a larger hole to allow the rod to release

 

Thanks Dave Mc,

That's what I thought it needed but it did NOT want to slide to the left. The weird thing is it's not stuck, frozen or rusted. I can wiggle it. I guess I just need to show it who's boss. I just don't want to damage the latch or the rod.

Why is it the ten minute jobs end up being a pain in the ass. And the big jobs you dread go faster than you ever thought.