In peace negotiations with the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP), the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) has represented the Communist Party of the Philippines, the New People’s Army and sixteen other allied organizations within the NDFP as well as the local organs of democratic political power constituting the People’s Democratic Government led by the CPP.

We, the Negotiating Panel duly-designated by the NDFP National Council to represent the NDFP in peace negotiations with the GRP and to deal with related matters, consider as absurd and preposterous that a mere agency of the GRP, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, fabricates allegations against the CPP and the NPA, submits these fabrications to another agency of the GRP, the Commission on Human Rights, as if the CPP, NPA, NDFP and the People’s Democratic Government have become subject to the authority of the GRP and its agencies.

The fact is that there is a civil war between the co-belligerents, the GRP and its agencies on one side; and the People’s Democratic Government, the NDFP, CPP, NPA, other revolutionary forces and the entire Filipino people on the other side. If the AFP wants to file complaints against the CPP and NPA, the most appropriate thing it can do is to ask the GRP President as GRP principal to file through his representative said complaints against the CPP and NPA to the NDFP Section of the Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC) under the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL).

Unlike the GRP under the Duterte regime which engages in fascist crimes of state terrorism, the NDFP strictly adheres directly to the international law on human rights and humanitarian conduct in war as well as through the provisions of CARHRIHL. It is completely stupid and unacceptable for the AFP as mere agency of the GRP to consider the CPP and NPA as mere subjects to the authority of the GRP whereas they belong to the NDFP and the People’s Democratic Government and are major forces of the people’s revolutionary movement which continues to gain strength and power nationwide in the Philippines.

By authority of the National Council of the NDFP, the NDFP Negotiating Panel continues to exist and operate in order to deal with matters pertaining to agreements done with the GRP and to be ready for the possible resumption of the peace negotiations upon the end of the anti-peace and tyrannical Duterte regime. This regime is not forever. It is merely a passing administration of the GRP and is required to comply with the end of its term of office in the middle of next year, which is very soon. ###