A recipe for national dismemberment

It seems President Duterte wants peace “at all costs”—even at the expense of selling out the nation to ideologues who make us sick.

His over-aggressive “peace” initiatives with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF)—both of which are seeking to establish their own independent Islamic turfs down south—could very well end up allowing those implacable Muslim rebels to set up a stronghold that would then make them more formidable in their inexorable march toward a theocracy.

His “peace” initiatives, too, with the National Democratic Front (NDF), headed by dyed-in-the-wool communist Jose Maria Sison, could end up allowing those communist rebels to set up their own stronghold up north in preparation for their own godless communist statehood.

Allah-worshipping Islamists in the south and godless communists in the north? That is a sure recipe for national dismemberment and disaster.

We think President Duterte is being naïve in believing that those rebels can be trusted to respect our decades-long adherence to democratic ideals.  He is practically admitting that this coun try is helpless in quelling rebellion and in dealing with random acts of terrorism.

Yet, when it comes to any discussion of military aid and support from the United States which has the best capability in the world to gather intelligence on a global scale, he is quick to say we can handle our own problems, and to hell with the Americans.

When—not if—global terrorism hits our shores with full force and devastation, who is Mr. Duterte “gonna call”?  His MILF/MNLF buddies who have been giving shelter to Muslim kidnappers and murderers all these years? His NDF cadre whose minions prey on innocent civilians?  Wake up, Mr. President!

REY C. ESCOBAR, Cebu City