Peace in the proper forum
WHILE we were all getting heated up by what is on television and just about every news program is flashing or beaming live the face of Jaybee Sebastian interspersed with Senator Leila de Lima in between the theatrics of congressmen, the negotiators from the Philippine government (GRP) and the National Democratic Front (NDF) agreed on common frameworks and outlines of the last three substantive agenda that will comprise the final peace agreement with communist guerrillas.
The second round of the peace talks between the GRP-NDF ended with the two panels still wearing big smiles. There is relief, there is hope.
The common frameworks and outlines were those for the Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-Economic Reforms (CASER), Political and Constitutional Reforms (PCR), and End of Hostilities/Disposition of Forces (EOH/DOF). As expected, the most contentious was the Caser.
In the end, the panels agreed on: Rural equality and development to achieve food self-sufficiency; A sovereign, self-reliant and industrialized national economy; Protected and rehabilitated environment, just compensation for affected populations, and sustainable development; Social, economic and cultural rights of the working people upheld and discrimination eliminated; Sustainable living incomes for all; Affordable, accessible and quality social services and utilities; Sovereign foreign economic policies and trade relations supporting rural development and national industrialization; and Monetary and fiscal policy regime for national development.
Both panels believe that Filipinos should be enjoying the efforts to forge peace, even before a peace pact is signed. This signals a shared dream for both rebel groups and government negotiators, a belief that Filipinos deserve to get better deals even if the road to a peace pact is still far away. Peace dividends, they call it. The prize for the effort to sit down and talk peace.
"It was a roller-coaster ride but in the end, both parties reached their desired destination. Sharing a common vision, they were willing to walk the extra mile just to move the peace process forward," said Labor Secretary and government panel chair Silvestre H. Bello III.
Indeed, we can disagree on a lot of things, but for as long as we agree on one common aspiration, which is peace, we can work towards it in our own unique ways. But we cannot say the same when such vision is clouded by corruption, especially by the drug syndicates that are seeing their huge market dwindle. We hear the involvement of millions of pesos, no syndicate will be willing to let that business go without a fight. So, let’s expect more attacks from all fronts. But let’s focus on our common aspirations for peace. Take care of our family so they do not go the drug syndicates’ way, and let our law enforcers do their jobs with our full support. That is what citizenship is all about.
In crime syndicates, citizenship is never factored in, never ever be distracted by all the funded attempts to destroy our nation.