President Duterte has come many times to Negros: aside from attending Bacolod festivals, to condole with dead victims of ambush, assassinations and massacres, and to order more soldiers and police special forces to wage war against rebels.
He has also mulled the possible declaration of martial law in the province, and has offered millions of pesos in bounty to resolve issues that are insurgency-related.
The question is: What has President Duterte done to address the roots of insurgency in Negros? Has he asked why Negros has the longest insurgency problem in Central and Western Visayas? Has he not heard the cry over the lack of “social justice” in Negros?
Or the cry of hinterland farmers, particularly in the southern part, for government support, which has been ignored all these years?
For all we know, the government itself is the reason for the continuing local insurgency problem — its insensitivity to the plight of the hinterland poor.
What does President Duterte know about the real social condition in the Island?
He should focus not only on the bloody war against the insurgency in Negros, but also, if not more, on waging war against its roots.
ROLANDO L. PARPA
Pontevedra, Negros Occidental
rolando_parpa@yahoo.com