Negotiated peace, not ‘all-out-war’

Throughout his first two years in Malacañang, President Marcos Jr. has stayed silent on the issue of continuing the GRP-NDFP peace talks, which his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, had resumed in 2016 and then backed away from in 2019.

Last Nov. 23, 2023, the government and the NDFP announced that they had agreed to return to peace negotiations. Since then, however, with the ball in his court, Marcos Jr. has made no move, nor said a word.

The statement was signed by Luis Jalandoni for the NDFP. Antonio Ernesto Lagdameo, Special Assistant to the President, signed for the GRP. It marked the culmination of almost two years of discreet informal discussions in Oslo, facilitated by the Norwegian government, between NDFP officials and retired AFP chief Gen. Emmanuel Bautista, who initiated the talks. In early 2023 Lagdameo joined the discussions and led the GRP team, presumably with Malacañang clearance.

Concerned that Marcos Jr.’s silence indicated a “return to the policy of all-out war… aimed at crushing the revolutionary movement,” a newly formed group, the Council of Leaders for Peace Initiatives (CLPI), is urging him, in his third State of the Nation address on Monday, to make a “clear and unqualified commitment to pursue a peaceful, negotiated solution” towards attaining just and lasting peace.

“Indeed, in the wake of this [all-out-war] policy,” the CLPI said, “grievous violations of human rights and international humanitarian law are the undeniable and unacceptable consequences.”

Thus, they urged Marcos Jr. to resume the formal negotiations “without preconditions, on the basis of previously inked bilateral agreements and bolstered by confidence and trust building measures from both parties.” They asked him to appoint the new members of the GRP negotiating panel and to release the NDFP peace consultants, who have been arrested and held in prisons, to enable them to do their designated roles in the negotiations.

With 17 initial convenors, the CLPI introduces itself as a “collegial, multi-stakeholder and diverse body of Filipino advocates of a just and lasting peace in the Philippines that seeks to build bridges and spaces for dialogue.” It also seeks to foster a culture of understanding and appreciation for peace building; accompany the victims of violations of human rights and international humanitarian law as a result of the armed conflict and raise public awareness and create support for the GRP-NDFP peace process.

The advocacy group believes that it can play a significant role in the various mechanisms that can lead to achieving a just peace. It held its first assembly-cum-forum in Quezon City last Tuesday, to which I was invited.

Three women composed the forum panel: Melba Maggay, founder of the Institute for Studies in Asian Church and Culture, UP political science professor Sol Iglesias and Deaconess Norma Dollaga of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines. Each provided wider insights on peace-building and suggested ways to advance it.

Notably, they found the NTF-ELCAC as a major obstacle, suggested its “defunding” and backed the calls for its abolition.

The initial CLPI convenors include three bishops: Catholic Archbishop Jose Palma of Cebu and Kidapawan Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo, the national director of Caritas Phils. and United Methodist Church Bishop Ruby-Nell Estrella.

The other convenors are lawyers Antonio La Viña of Ateneo de Manila’s Manila Observatory and Manuel Quibod, Ateneo de Davao College of Law dean; Melba Maggay; former Ambassador Victoria Bataclan; former Negros Occidental Gov. Rafael Coscolluela; former Commissioner Karen Gomez-Dumpit of the Commission on Human Rights; former UP-Diliman Chancellor Michael Tan; UP-Cebu Chancellor Leo Malagar; former Cultural Center of the Philippines vice president and artistic director Chris Millado; Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines spokesperson Mitzi Jonelle Tan; former ARMM Legislative Assembly member Samira Gutoc; Rose Hayahay of Save Our Schools; Guiamel Mato Alem, Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society chairperson and Vaughn Geuseppe Alviar, national president, Youth of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente.

“Much hope and optimism” was generated among peace advocates, the CLPI said, and those who suffer the most because of the ongoing armed conflict such as the rural poor and indigenous peoples’ communities.

“Unfortunately, since then we have not heard any positive development, especially prospects for the resumption of the formal peace negotiations.”

A news report Thursday in another national daily quoted a National Amnesty Commission statement as saying the peace negotiations were “still being worked out to be started.” They’re not even in square one!

In its July 16 statement, titled “A Just Peace is Imperative,” the CLPI made three critical observations:

• We underscore the folly of prioritizing government financial and other resources for this all-out war policy over providing for basic social services such as health, education, affordable housing and economic development programs that address the plight of the poor and disadvantaged. This can only lead to exacerbating the roots of the armed conflict.

• We are also alarmed that this militarist policy extends to civil society in its legitimate role to critique government policies and rightfully advocate for reforms. Thus, we denounce the use of red-tagging, the filing of unwarranted criminal cases including charges of “terrorism” and “financing terrorism” and other forms of political harassment against cause-oriented groups and activists, development workers, human rights defenders as well as journalists.

• The military claims that the CPP-NPA’s remaining armed force has been significantly reduced and are bound for defeat. Nonetheless, history shows that armed conflict – rooted in widening socioeconomic and political disparities – persists precisely because those conditions lead to social unrest and lends credence and justness to the revolutionary cause.

Citing the heightening rivalry and tension between big powers especially in the Asia-Pacific region, the CLPI asserted that “it is high time to pursue all avenues, especially peaceful ones, to address and bring to a negotiated solution the ongoing armed conflict, so that we can unite our people and muster our resources towards forging an independent and peaceful foreign policy.”

Will this issue be addressed in Marcos Jr.’s forthcoming SONA? How important is it to him?