By Patricia Lourdes Viray
MANILA, Philippines — The National Democratic Front has refused to acknowledge receipt of a written notice sent by the government peace panel on the termination of the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees, the agreement that keeps peace consultants from being arrested.
NDF Negotiating Panel chair Fidel Agcaoili said that the government had no fair and just reason to terminate the peace negotiations less than two weeks after the conclusion of the third round of formal talks in Rome, Italy.
Agcaoili cited the joint statement issued by both parties showing the advances made in the peace negotiations.
He noted that the implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law was discussed followed by the signing of the Supplemental Guidelines for the Joint Monitoring Committee.
The reciprocal working committees on social and economic reforms have exchanged drafts of respective reforms, Agcaoili said.
"The Negotiating Panels agreed to have their respective ceasefire committees meet in the Netherlands on February 22-27 to discuss their respective drafts of the bilateral ceasefire. They also agreed to set the next round of talks in Oslo, Norway on April 2-6, 2017," Agcaoili said in a statement released Thursday.
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