Another stab at peace

Another round of peace negotiations, but this time with the government refusing to observe a ceasefire. After days of being pounded by government troops, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front announced the other day that it was ready to resume negotiations for peace, without preconditions. The announcement was made about two weeks after the MILF declared an all-out offensive against government troops. In those two weeks, the troops wrested control of the Secretary Narciso Ramos Highway which cuts through the MILF's base, Camp Abubakar. The MILF responded by setting off bombs in se-veral areas in Mindanao, leaving scores of people dead and many others wounded.

Government troops are grumbling that the MILF is suing for peace only because it has been greatly weakened and needs to recover its strength. The government, however, can't reject this proffered olive branch, no matter how insincere the motive may be. President Estrada gave government negotiators until June 30 to hammer out a peace agreement with the MILF. That deadline is still more than a month away -- enough time, after two years of truces observed and broken, to forge a lasting peace agreement.

Such a pact can be forged only if both sides are sincere in their desire for peace. Each side must be ready for compromise, for some give and take. Each side must also be prepared to bury the acrimony of recent weeks, which saw the worst fighting in Mindanao since the Moro National Liberation Front went on a rampage in the 1970s. The Armed Forces of the Philippines has lost many men in this battle, with some of the fatalities tortured and mutilated before being killed. Some quarters have pointed out that suspending the offensive at this time may demoralize the troops.

Without a peace agreement, however, more soldiers are sure to die, to be tortured and mutilated. The AFP's offensive has forced the MILF to return to the negotiating table, and that should be considered victory enough. The war in Mindanao can't go on forever. Before resuming negotiations, and before the deadline lapses, both sides must ask themselves if they really want peace, and what price they are willing to pay for it.