Lasting peace

If Mariah Carey says, “All I want for Christmas is you,” I want to reply with, “All I want for Christmas is peace.”

With good news circulating over media for the past weeks like the coming home of Balangiga bells and the crown of Miss Universe through Catriona Elisa Gray, I am positive to hear about the success of our local government units (LGUs) to finally seal local peace talks with the NPA rebels in their respective localities.

In my view, local peace talks between communist rebels and LGUs are better than resorting to an armed offensive against them. We all have to support this local peace talks. Why? It’s Christmas time. I am sure members of this group are also longing for their families. They have been in the mountains and away from their loved ones for so long. If both parties agree with local peace talks, they will no longer need to hide in the forests and worry how their family members are doing while they are not around.

Besides being with their families, they no longer have to be the people known threatening the lives and properties of their fellow countrymen. They no longer have to be the reasons behind the grief of every soldier who gets hurt and dies in armed encounters with them.

All that’s left is peaceful living, not only for them but for also for all the locals.

All I want for Christmas is peace. We all want this, I assume. — Mc Howard Abdon