(Eagle News) — The Philippine government has formally sent notice on Tuesday (February 7) on the termination of the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) to the leaders of the National Democratic Front (NDF).
With this, the government has notified the NDF on the cancellation of the safe conduct passes that had earlier been extended to the communist rebel negotiators.
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza sent the letter dated February 7, 2017 to NDF chief political consultant Jose Maria Sison and panel chair Fidel Agcaoili about the JASIG termination.
This would eventually pave the way for the arrest of the NDF consultants who had earlier been ordered released by President Duterte.
Before this notice, the NDF leaders had claimed that the NDF consultants were immune from arrest as part of the JASIG pact.
According to a list released by the Philippine National Police, among those earlier ordered arrested were the following NDF consultants:
• Wilma and Benito Tiamzon,
• Vic Ladlad,
• Afelberto Silva,
• Alfonso Jazmines,
• Alfredo Mapano,
• Loida Magpatoc,
• Pedro Cudaste,
• Ruben Saluta,
• Ernesto Lorenzo,
• Porferio Tuna,
• Renante Gamara, and
• Tirso Alcantara
The notice on the termination of the JASIG came after the President ordered the cancellation of peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front (CPP-NDF) after the New People’s Army rebels killed unarmed soldiers and government troops while a ceasefire was still in place.