Fidel Agcaoili dies at 75

The chairman of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines peace negotiating panel Fidel Agcaoili died at the age of 75, the NDFP announced in a statement on Thursday evening, July 23.

“The NDFP announces with deep sorrow the untimely passing of Ka Fidel V. Agcaoili today, 23 July 2020 at 12:45 pm in Utrecht, The Netherlands. He would have turned 76 on 8 August,” the NDFP said.

Agcaoili died of pulmonary arterial rupture, which caused massive internal bleeding.

Agcaoili’s remains will be flown to the Philippines in accordance with the wishes of his family.

<h1>Communist leader</h1>

Agcaoili was known as one of the top leaders of the communist movement.
He spent the final days of his life exiled in Utrecht in the Netherlands with Sison and other leaders of the Left.

Under the Duterte administration, the peace talks with the government started with promise but eventually fell apart, leading to Duterte declaring communist rebels as terrorists in December 2017. (READ: Duterte rejects peace talks with CPP-NPA: ‘No more talks to talk about’)

Agcaoili was supposed to return to the Philippines with NDF senior adviser Luis Jalandoni and peace panel member Coni Ledesma in late 2018 to speak with then presidential peace adviser Jesus Dureza, in the hopes of reviving the peace talks.

They canceled after the government threatened to arrest them. (READ: The generals’ coup in 2018: Duterte breaks up with Reds)

He was in talks with Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III in December 2019 to try to broker another round of peace talks with the government, but the attempt fizzled out due to opposition from the military and Duterte’s security advisers. – Rappler.com