Is it now?
Rejection was evident in the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) supposed statement of support to President Rodrigo Duterte’s newest order to resume peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).
The AFP could not hide its contempt on the order, but good soldiers follow their Commander-in-Chief without a word. So, it’s on to the peace talks, no matter what.
But the AFP still wants a say on what government’s position should take when its emissaries talk with the Maoists — the President’s last card to peace, he said.
Marine Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo, the AFP spokesman, said government should start the dialogue on a position of strength. Government’s peace panel will take a cue from this, of course. And this early, it will serve as an irritant between the opposing camps as it will send them back to Point Zero where they have failed.
Openly, however, Arevalo’s stand of support to the President’s wish of peace is unequivocal. What happens beyond the walls and the telephone lines are different from the parties’ public projections, though.
The CPP, through Jose Maria Sison, issued a friendly tune to the news, quite different from his stance against Duterte in the past few months.
He said he welcomes another try at peace. The question, however, is would both parties really work to attain it?
Mr. Duterte has two years or so to work on it. There is not enough time for him to achieve his peace plans even if he creates much leeway for the Reds to step into the mainstream.
Both parties have wasted opportunities before. Mr. Duterte used to be the only city mayor of prominence to weave in and out of NPA camps. He was untouched as was Davao City.
Aboveground activists used to frolic in the streets of Duterte’s city.
Sightings of members of the underground movement are common on special occasions. They were left untouched, too.
After Duterte won the presidency via a landslide, he openly welcomed Left-leaning personalities in his Cabinet. Some of them served for long, until what Duterte declared as the collapse of the peace talks in March this year.
The President had his chance to forge peace then. But the conditions were not ripe from the start as the Reds had wanted a coalition government with Duterte.
“Its success would rely on many hands, including the fighters on the ground — both from the NPA and the military.
The Chief Executive did not find this demand acceptable.
The military was also up in arms over that demand. That the AFP now has a say over what Mr. Duterte should do is no longer surprising. The military holds the key to any leadership’s stability. The CPP-NPA could not demand for more than what Mr. Duterte could offer them.
The military is also not expected to give up an inch of its position. It is a stalemate between them from this point on.
But peace could be worked on. Both parties could agree to that.
The Government and the Reds have to start somewhere. It could be on Mr. Duterte’s mind when he ordered Labor Sec. Silvestre Bello to chase Joma in The Netherlands.
The President described his Labor pointman as a “commie,” his former friends will have to validate that, though. He could be effective in linking the two parties for a one, final push towards peace. But its success would rely on many hands, including the fighters on the ground — both from the NPA and the military.
The CPP-NPA used the ceasefire that comes with the peace talks for an opportunity to heal its wounds. Its fighters need to recuperate, too.
The military also use the opportunity to spy on their foes while the talks are ongoing.
It’s the cycle that comes with the talks. Cycles repeat. And it would take longer before another one comes if these talks fail.
“The AFP still wants a say on what government’s position should take when its emissaries talk with the Maoists — the President’s last card to peace.