EDITORIAL - Recalibration

Even the most optimistic person should be having doubts about this peace effort. President Duterte has taken every opportunity to ask communist rebels, as part of confidence-building in the peace process, to stop their extortion activities as well as violent attacks on private businesses and especially against government forces.

Several times the rebels have responded to the request with intensified attacks, even as their leaders who are enjoying the comforts of exile in liberal societies continue to discuss peace with the Duterte administration and rebels negotiators enjoy immunity from arrest.

The other day, with backchannel talks being held in the Netherlands, New People’s Army rebels attacked another government convoy, this time in North Cotabato. And it was no ordinary convoy, but one belonging to the Presidential Security Group. The main van was peppered with bullets, but fortunately, no one was killed although at least five PSG members were wounded. In Palawan hours later, however, NPA rebels also launched an attack, killing two Marines.

The attacks prompted government negotiators, reportedly on orders of the President himself, to stop the backchannel discussions. It also revived suspicions from defense and military officials that communist rebels were simply using the peace process to recruit members and build up their arsenals.

Another suspicion is that the exiled communists no longer have control over NPA fighters, in the same way that young members of the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front are reportedly unimpressed with the peace process and are ignoring the MILF leadership’s commitments to the government. The MILF leaders have already seen many of their members breaking away and forming the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, although the two groups teamed up in January 2015 to protect international terrorist Zulkfli bin Hir or Marwan from being captured by police Special Action Force commandos in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

The latest NPA attacks, with more reportedly planned in the President’s home turf of Davao before his second State of the Nation Address, should revive the question of whether the government is discussing peace with the right people.

If communist leaders cannot guarantee control over their fighters in the Philippines, what’s the use of discussing peace? President Duterte’s appeals for an end to the rebels’ armed attacks have been ignored so many times by the NPA that he should seriously consider a recalibration of his approach in working for an enduring peace.