NDF receives Philippines termination of safe conduct passes

February 7, 2017

The National Democratic Front has received the notice of termination of the Philippine government of the Joint Agreement on Security and Immunity Guarantees (Jasig), which could pave the way for the arrest of the communist rebels who hold safe conduct passes.

NDF chief negotiator Fidel Agcaoili said in a statement on Tuesday they intend to acknowledge it immediately "to enable the 30-day grace period to run."

"It is actually an odd notice since it only terminates the Jasig and not the peace negotiations but has the same effect.  It is not like the written notice of termination sent by (former)  President (Joseph) Estrada before," Agcaoili said.

Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza sent a letter to Agcaoili on Tuesday regarding termination of Jasig after President Rodrigo Duterte scrapped the peace talks.

"But Dureza's notice will do in effectively terminating the peace negotiations.  This is not the first time that an all-out war has been declared against the revolutionary forces," Agcaoili said.

He was  referring to earlier pronouncement of Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana that the military would wage an all-out war against the 5,000-strong New People's Army, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines-NDF.

He recalled the late President Corazon Aquino did it in 1987 after the Mendiola massacre and Estrada after signing the Philippine-United States Visiting Forces Agreement.

"We are used to these threats.  The revolutionary movement will persist and continue the struggle for the national and social liberation of the Filipino people to bring about a just and lasting peace in the country," Agcaoili said. Celerina Monte/DMS