Armed hostilities lose meaning amid pandemic
Never before in the history of our country’s armed conflict between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Communist Party of the Philippines/New People’s Army has the imperative of ending this interminable war been more urgent — particularly at this time, both unprecedented and opportune. It has now lasted for over half a century (certainly now the longest-running internal armed conflict in the world), and we cannot and must not leave such a legacy to our youth.
The momentary ceasefires separately declared by both sides have now lapsed, and we seem to be back on track for the resumption of armed hostilities that simply have lost meaning while our people are besieged by a virus that is both invisible and deadly, our livelihoods uncertain while a great number of our homes in different cities and towns are shuttered in lockdown.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres himself in a message rare for its compelling character put it bluntly: “It is time to put armed conflict on lockdown and focus together on the true fight of our lives.” He urged that all combatants silence their guns and added, “There should be only one fight in our world today, our shared battle against COVID-19.”
Pope Francis in his traditional Easter Message to the City and the World (“Urbi et Orbi”), envisioning a world after the pandemic, made a stirring appeal for global solidarity aimed at combating the contagion as well as enacting an immediate ceasefire on all conflict fronts—particularly at this time when all our efforts must be focused on ending the scourge that has ravaged the lives of people in nearly all the continents.
We are veteran peace advocates, each one of whom has spent nearly four decades of our lives accompanying the peace processes in our country. Although a peace agreement has been forged in the southern part of our country that is now called Bangsamoro, nevertheless a cessation of all armed hostilities throughout our land is imperative if we are “to heal as one” and begin to rebuild our country anew after this viral nightmare.
The “humanitarian pause” is but one step, but a necessary one at this time. It is our hope that it will provide space for both sides of the conflict to rethink and explore ways to move the interminable peace process forward.
We call on our fellow citizens to demand from both sides to step back from the brink and end this “spiral of insanity.” How can we in conscience resume armed hostilities at this time? We daresay: “If you claim to fight in the name of the people, then we ask of you to stop the shooting on our behalf so that we can rebuild our lives that have been severely disrupted by this pandemic.”
Bobby Tañada (former senator),
Ed Garcia (one of the framers of the 1987 Constitution)
Sol Santos (judge, Regional Trial Court in Naga City)
