MIM Notes 187 June 1 1999

NDFP to terminate peace negotiations if senate 
ratifies visiting forces agreement

by Jose Maria Sison

NDFP Chief Political Consultant

The National Democratic Front of the Philippines 
will declare the termination of the GRP-NDFP 
peace negotiations if the Senate ratifies the 
Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).

The Senate ratification of the VFA will 
constitute a brazen violation of The Hague Joint 
Declaration, which is the framework agreement 
for the GRP-NDFP peace negotiations. The 
declaration upholds national sovereignty as one 
of the mutually acceptable principles guiding 
the peace negotiations.

By pushing the ratification of the VFA, the 
Estrada regime and its cohorts in the Senate 
prove themselves as no better than running dogs 
of US imperialism..

The VFA allows US military forces of any size to 
occupy Philippine territory for as long as they 
please, to commit crimes with impunity and to 
bring in without inspection any kind of weapon, 
including nuclear, chemical, biological and 
other genocidal weapons.

The Estrada regime has already killed the peace 
negotiations by grossly violating in so many 
ways The Hague Joint Declaration, the Joint 
Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees, and 
the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human 
Rights and International Humanitarian Law.

The Senate ratification of the VFA will be one 
more strong reason for the NDFP to make a formal 
declaration to terminate the peace negotiations 
with the GRP.