What peace is Duterte forging?

A REPORT (“Duterte men, NDFP start peace negotiations in July,” Front Page, 6/17/16) had us wondering: What kind of “peace” is President-elect Rodrigo Duterte mulling with the National Democratic Front, a communist organization led by Jose Maria Sison who has been living in exile for decades in the Netherlands, while his followers in this country remain in trenches and commit pillage and plunder?

Given Sison’s deep-seated ideology and immutable adherence to Maoism—a way of life espoused by the late Mao Zedong whose influence has been quietly denigrated in China, as that country has slowly but surely begun to embrace capitalism as the only way to sustain its present status as a military and economic “superpower”—what can possibly come out of that “negotiation”?

With the Moro Islamic Liberation Front trying to carve its own territory in Mindanao through a “peace negotiation” that has led to a proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law—which virtually grants it total autonomy over several provinces (and, of course, freedom and resources to lay the groundwork for an Islamic state as its ultimate goal)—should we be also looking forward to another autonomous region in Luzon handed over to the NDF on a silver platter, where Sison would have all the freedom and resources to set up his own brand of a communist state?

Is this what Duterte is envisioning under his federalism juggernaut? An Islamic state and a communist state within Philippine territory? Ang gulo-gulo (How confusing)! Can any political scientist please explain how a federation of states works with each member-state having its own divergent system of government? Our Political Science 101 taught us that democracy has very serious—nay, irreconcilable—issues with communism and theocracy!

And by the way, the public wants to know who is paying for the political junket of Duterte’s men in Oslo, Norway? From where we stand, Duterte’s term has not yet begun and, therefore, those expenses cannot be charged to us, taxpayers! And if that trip is paid for from Duterte’s excess election campaign funds (said to be in the tens of millions), then isn’t that already blatant misappropriation?

—DINO M. CAPISTRANO, dmcaps0210@gmail.com

RELATED VIDEO