Put a stop to treachery

Peace IS defined as a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, it suggests the existence of a healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationship. Obviously, peace is what we all want today.

Our government is having its peace talks with rebel groups in our country, particularly the CPP-NPA-NDF (Communist Party of the Philippines, New People’s Army, National Democratic Front) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The peace talks are aimed at resolving and ending the insurgencies that have plagued our country for decades. We, ordinary citizens in this country, can see the sincere and well-meaning intention of the government in pursuing the peace negotiations, and we fully support the government in this.

But it is very apparent that the rebel groups are not committed to the pursuit of peace. They are into arson, killings, ambuscades, kidnap-for-ransom and all violent crimes. Despite all this, the government has taken no resolute action to suppress their criminal activities; it remains optimistic in the peace talks even though the rebels have treacherously killed many of our government soldiers without mercy.

In the Al-Barka ambush staged by the MILF, 19 of our soldiers perished and many others were wounded.  Still, President Aquino is determined to proceed with the peace talks with the MILF next month, even though it is obvious that the MILF is using the peace talks to tie the hands of government from responding to MILF forces’ criminal activities.

President Aquino is treating the MILF like a spoiled brat. It’s time he suspended  temporarily the peace talks and wielded his “kamay na bakal” against the terrorists responsible for the treacherous deaths of our soldiers.

—ANSELMO T. CAPACIO,

[email protected]