OP-ED COLUMN: OPINION & CARTOON – ‘Spoilers of peace’ – Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Sison says these peace spoilers are members of the military who stand to benefit from the continued conflict between the government and the communist rebels.

Mr. Duterte this month indicated he was willing to talk with the rebels again despite abandoning negotiations last year. Then, he became frustrated with the CPP’s attacks even while the talks were ongoing. In desperation, he tagged its members as terrorists.

But now he has opened a 60-day window—we do not know when it will begin—during which both sides can prepare for the next round of talks. Reasonably so, the President has asked that the NPA should lay down arms and agree to a ceasefire, stop extortion activities, and abandon its proposal for a coalition government.

The impending peace talks occasion a mix of hope and trepidation. Hope, because peace is always to be desired, and the end of conflict will also end the evils it had brought upon the nation for generations. It is also heartening that despite previous failures, this administration has decided to try anew—whatever the odds.

We are aware, however, that the same doomed outcome awaits the parties if they operate under the same circumstances and mindset as they have done for decades. For this round to succeed where all previous efforts have failed, there must be decisive change not only in the goals but in the manner in which the talks are carried out.

If we hope for a different result this time around, we cannot keep falling into the same traps: The usual double talk, disrespect of the ceasefire, inability—refusal, perhaps—to control people on the ground who carry out attacks even while peace is being negotiated.

These will be the real peace spoilers. With them around, we would all just be wasting our time. /posted April 24, 2018 at 12:55 am byManila Standard