National Security Council issues statement on CPP-NPA-NDF claims

DAVAO CITY — The National Security Council has released a statement addressing recent claims made by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF), emphasizing that the organization has propagated so many falsehoods over its more than 50-year existence that it now appears to believe its own propaganda.

In a press statement issued on October 29, The Council specifically refuted the CPP-NPA-NDF’s assertion that notorious CPP Chairman Baylon Villarico and NPA leaders Porferio Tuna and Simeon Naugsan are “peace advocates” immune from arrest under the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantee (JASIG), which was signed during the Fidel Ramos Administration.

In a statement made on October 28, Ms. Julieta De Lima of the NDF argued that the 1995 agreement remains in effect, claiming it cannot be terminated through media statements alone and requires formal procedures for termination.

However, the National Security Council clarified that the JASIG was officially terminated by the Philippine government in 2017 following the collapse of peace talks.

A formal notice of termination was served to the NDF on February 7, 2017, taking effect 30 days later, on March 9, 2017. According to the provisions of the JASIG, either party can terminate the agreement through official notice, and it is considered terminated 30 days after receipt by the other party.

Furthermore, the Council asserted that the JASIG cannot be considered resurrected following its formal termination in 2017, as there has been no agreement to reinstate it between the government and the CPP-NPA-NDF.

The Joint Oslo Communique of 2023 merely aimed to establish a framework for prioritizing peace negotiations, with the goal of achieving relevant socioeconomic and political reforms toward a just and lasting peace. Importantly, this Communique did not reinstate the JASIG, as no such agreement exists between the two parties.

The statement concluded by labeling the CPP-NPA-NDF’s claims of immunity from arrest as “preposterous and baseless.” Villarico and his associates were arrested based on standing warrants issued by courts of law.

The Council urged these individuals to confront their legal issues head-on in court rather than using misleading arguments to evade accountability for their actions against the Filipino people.