Nation

COMMUNIST leaders said on Monday that the Aquino administration is moving to terminate the peace talks with the National Democratic Front (NDF), dousing the possibility of sealing an agreement with the government.

A statement issued by Fidel Agcaoili, peace panel member and spokesman for the NDF, said they have received information that President Aquino plans to end the talks with the rebels next year.

Senators find the proposed Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with Australia “better than” the earlier VFA the Philippines forged with the United States.

At Monday’s public hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, chaired by Sen. Loren Legarda, senators took turns grilling Departments of Defense (DND), Justice (DOJ) and Foreign Affairs (DFA) officials in comparing an existing RP-US VFA with a similar accord with Australia that senators are being asked to ratify, as well.

ZAMBOANGA CITY— A barangay kagawad escaped unscathed but his son was killed in an ambush in a remote barangay, east of this city’s downtown.

Chief Insp. Ricardo Garcia, chief of Station 2 of this city’s police, said the ambush took place around 9:30 a.m. on Sunday at Purok 4, Barangay Muti, 58 kilometers east of this city’s downtown.