EDITORIAL – Is talking with Sison even worth it anymore?

Even as President Rodrigo Duterte and Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria Sison are sending each other feelers they are willing to talk peace again, New People’s Army rebels were blamed for an attack against policemen in Borongan City, Eastern Samar.

The attack, allegedly carried out with an Improvised Explosive Device, killed two people and also injured 15 others, including three minors, one of them an infant.

It seems to be the usual practice of the communists to make peace gestures then suddenly follow up with an attack. For the government, it is not unlike being punched in the face with the left hand of someone who is extending his right hand in a gesture of friendship.

Given these actions by the other side, there are two things the government must consider if they still want to proceed with “peace talks.”

The first is what they hope to achieve when talking peace with NPA rebels. The communist movement aims to overthrow the government and make the Philippines a communist state. This calls for armed struggle, and a group with this aim can be quite hard to convince to take the peaceful path, if that is even an option for them.

However, who are we to say we do not have brilliant negotiators in our government? If in these peace talks both parties somehow come to an agreement like limiting the battlefield, or making sure some sectors are not affected by their war, or settings times when no encounters must take place, then by all means, talk peace.

The second thing the government must consider is if talking with Sison is even worth it anymore.

How much pull does Sison really have over his armed cadres? Do they even still recognize his authority and influence? In short, do NPA rebels still consider Sison as the leader of their movement?

It is the NPA rebels who are carrying out the dirty and dangerous work that they hope will lead to their version of the Philippines, sleeping in jungle huts, eating roots and whatever they can find, always in danger of getting killed in the next encounter.

On the other side of this spectrum you have Sison, who has been for decades living a comfortable life in the Netherlands, assured of a soft bed every night, never having to worry about where his next meal will come from, and never in any danger of getting killed in an armed encounter.

Given this, one wonders whether or not armed cadres still think Sison aptly represents their cause.

If the government wants to talk peace with the left, they might want to make sure they are talking with the right man.