File photo: NDFP Negotiating Panel / JBustamante

Negotiating Panel – National Democratic Front of the Philippines
24 November 2017

We, the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), hereby declare that we await receipt of the written notice of termination of the peace negotiations by the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) as a consequence of the reported signing of Proclamation No. 360 by GRP President Duterte declaring such termination.

As stipulated in the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG), the GRP-NDFP peace negotiations shall be deemed terminated 30 days after receipt of the written notice of termination to be given by one party to the other. We expect the GRP to comply with this provision.

In the past year, the GRP President has suspended or terminated the talks three times while these were ongoing or had just concluded. It has been the sad experience of the NDFP and the Third Party Facilitator, the Royal Norwegian Government (RNG), as well as the GRP’s own personnel, to be subjected to the whimsical and arbitrary outbursts of GRP President Duterte. No one can rule a country in Mafia-style fashion where it becomes a personal turf and all forms of opposition are wiped out while the army and police are transformed into enforcers and hit-men.

The GRP-NDFP peace negotiations are governed by agreements. We expect the written notice to be sent to us immediately now that Proclamation No. 360 has been published.

In any event, in accordance with the JASIG, all immunities shall remain in full force and effect even after the termination of the peace negotiations.

If President Duterte is determined to turn the entire country into a wasteland similar to Marawi, that is his own lookout. He will meet the fierce resistance of the people to his fascist rule and go down in history as a worse dictator than Marcos.##

Reference:
Fidel V. Agcaoili
NDFP Panel Chairperson
November 24, 2017

Contact No. 0031 64 1324348
fidelagcaoili@ndfp.org