Time for peace

It is high time the war in Mindanao was stopped. I am sure most of the rebels in the mountains are tired of the war and want to lay down their arms, except that they are under intense pressure from their leaders to carry on with the violent and bloody struggle. Too many innocent people have been caught in the crossfire and killed in this war and counting, as the war goes on.

I have heard rumors that Jose Maria Sison, who is the founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines, is no longer the hardliner he was before and there’s a split within the party between those affirming and those rejecting the armed struggle, as had happened before.

In any case, Sison, who is living in Holland together with his wife, enjoys political asylum and many privileges from the Dutch government. They should come home now to the Philippines and join the parliamentary struggle. They can also exert pressure on their comrades in the mountains to lay down their arms.

The same goes for Luis Jalandoni and his wife Connie Ledesma. Though they have become Dutch citizens, they should come back to the Philippines and show their loyalty to the Filipino people and join the parliamentary struggle here. No need to negotiate and go to Norway for that.

Let there be peace in Mindanao! It is high time we enjoyed peace!

—ARNOLD VAN VUGT, O.Carm. associate, Cagayan de Oro City, [email protected]