Embracing democracy

The Philippine government’s negotiations to forge an official ceasefire agreement with the New People’s Army-Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front (NPA-CPP-NDF) were supposed to take place today in Rome, Italy. But the deadly and treacherous attacks by the NPA rebels against government forces during a supposed ceasefire period prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to unilaterally terminate on Feb. 4 the on-going peace process with the communist insurgent groups.

The latest alleged ceasefire violation by the communist insurgents, the last straw of which, so to speak, was the killing of three soldiers in Bukidnon by suspected NPA rebels. It took place a few days before the NPA declared their intention to unilaterally lift the ceasefire on Feb. 10 over complaints of purported ceasefire violations by the military.

What made matters worse was the recovery of the bodies of the slain soldiers who each bore more than 20 gunshot wounds.

The atrocity of their killing prompted their Commander-in-chief Duterte to order the government panel to terminate further peace talks with the communist insurgent groups. The presidential action came swiftly just a few days after both panels returned from Rome where they conducted the latest negotiations with the Utrecth-based CPP-NPA-NDF leaders.

In apparent face-saving move after their image was damaged publicly before the eyes of the Filipino people by the savagery of their comrades in Bukidnon, the NPA declared a limited unilateral ceasefire anew. This was a day after the magnitude-6.9 earthquake devastated Surigao del Norte last Feb. 10. In their statement issued through media, the NPA command in Surigao promised no harm will befall government troopers involved in the rescue and relief operations in the province.

Taking note of the NPA statement, President Duterte soft-pedaled in his latest pronouncements against the communist insurgents. In his usual extemporaneous remarks before Surigao earthquake victims, the President gave the government’s peace process with the CPP-NPA-NDF talks a chance to re-open “if there will be compelling reasons” to do so.

Obviously, the NPA’s limited truce in earthquake-stricken Surigao is not enough “compelling reason” for President Duterte to reconsider his decision. There was even a strafing incident of a relief truck in Barangay San Francisco in which the NPA vehemently denied any involvement.

Following the President’s decision to scuttle the peace talks, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) headed by Secretary Jesus Dureza notified their CPP-NPA-NDF counterparts on the suspension of the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG). A number of JASIG have been issued to CPP-NPA-NDF negotiators like the couple Benito and Wilma Tiamzon who are both charged in courts and jailed for criminal offenses.

The JASIG serves as a free pass for them to travel here and abroad without being arrested by government authorities. Aside from JASIG, the Tiamzon couple also posted bail for their temporary liberty. But since the peace talks were terminated, the JASIG had been likewise suspended. The Tiamzon couple, earlier captured by our military, is on the run again.

The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) has filed a petition for the re-arrest of the NDF consultants, including the Tiamzon couple, who were earlier released by the government to participate in the peace talks both here and abroad.

Prior to the “termination” of the peace talks, the third round of formal negotiations between the government and the CPP-NPA-NDF were held in Rome from Jan. 19 to 25 under the auspices of the Norwegian government. In a joint statement at the end of the Rome talks, both panels hailed it as a successful one and announced the next formal round will be held on April 2-6 in Oslo, Norway.

In an official statement yesterday, Dureza welcomed the call reportedly issued by founding CPP chairman Jose Ma. Sison to proceed with the bilateral ceasefire negotiations. Echoing the official line of the government, Dureza maintained the continuation of the peace negotiations solely depends on whether there will be "compelling reasons” to proceed as stated earlier by President Duterte.

Yesterday, the left-leaning party list groups at the House  of Representatives approved a draft Resolution calling for the resumption of the government’s peace talks with the CPP-NPA-NDF. Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate, chairman of the House committee on peace, unity and reconciliation, approved House Resolution 769 urging President Duterte to change his mind into resuming the stalled peace talks with their comrades who are still engaged in the armed struggle.

At least 125 members of the 293-man House of Representatives have affixed their signatures in the Resolution. It will now be submitted for plenary for approval or rejection at the House floor.

Through these years after the late dictator former President Ferdinand Marcos – during which the CPP-NPA first organized their armed struggle – our local communist insurgent groups have not abandoned their armed struggle even after the February 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution. Even after our country’s democracy was restored, they continued pursuing their end goal: the overthrow of our democratic government.

When Marcos was ousted, administrations one after the other tried but failed to bring the CPP-NPA-NDF to the negotiating table for ceasefire or peace agreement. But none came to forging one.

With a self-confessed socialist leaning President, the CPP-NPA-NDF is losing their chance to come to peaceful terms to end their armed struggle in the remaining five years and six months of the Duterte administration. President Duterte’s appointment of at least four left-leaning leaders to key Cabinet posts are not apparently enough to bring the CPP-NPA-NDF on board the government run under democratic ideals.

Duterte’s predecessors like ex-president and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada even appointed erstwhile communist-card bearing leaders to his Cabinet like the late Agrarian Reform Secretary Horacio “Boy” Morales who embraced the government under democratic rule.

Incidentally, the Filipino nation is currently observing the weeklong commemoration of this historic period to mark our country’s regaining our democracy.

Each year, we see left-leaning and other militant groups join the EDSA-1 anniversary activities. What will make them embrace democracy?