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Tuesday, February 7, 2017
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IN LESS than a year since August 2016, the peace talks between the government and communist rebels significantly progressed. It is thus very unfortunate that President Duterte terminated the peace negotiations.
Will the President reconsider his decision? We hope so, even if his pronouncements on Saturday seemed to indicate he had given up the quest for achieving a peace agreement with the Left. Consider these statements: “I am not ready to resume the peace talks.” “I’d like to tell the Filipino people that peace with communists might not come in this generation.” “Go home to your (Army) camps, clean your guns and prepare for a long struggle.”
Can the peace process continue even without a ceasefire in place? It may be naïve to hope it could but both parties should try. A chance should be given to negotiate and iron out the Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms (CASER) and the bilateral ceasefire. There is still hope that the CASER and bilateral ceasefire can be forged this year with substantive progress in the January third round of talks.
Considering the advances already made in so short a period these past months in the substantive agenda of the talks, these troubling developments do not augur well in solving the root causes of the armed conflict in our country. Peace advocates should continue and reiterate the call for the continuation of the peace process for the greater interest of our people. More than ever, this is the opportune time to further push for just and lasting peace.
The President himself said on Saturday: “The peace talks will remain cancelled unless there is a compelling reason that will benefit the interest of the nation.”
The greater interest of our people. Isn’t this compelling enough to pursue the peace process?
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