No to peace talks

“I object to any peace talks with the NPA.” These were the words of Department of National Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. as he strongly condemned the New People’s Army, labeling them as enemies of the state while clearly maintaining that negotiating legitimizes their actions and that the government will continue military measures against them. All this was expressed after a deadly encounter last April in Negros Occidental and backing him up with full support is the Philippine Army, who continue to emphasize the NPA as a terrorist organization.

As an active citizen of our nation, I fully support this mission and so must the rest of the Filipino people who, as Teodoro put very firmly, want nothing but peace. A whole-of-nation approach to end insurgency remains to be one of the most important tasks of the Philippine Army in order to fully protect the Filipino people and dismantle terrorist networks once and for all.

In the same breath, Philippine Army spokesman Col. Louie Dema-ala also expressed that peace talks with the NPA cannot restart without the group’s “genuine renunciation” of its armed struggle. The Philippine government continues to shut the door against terrorist groups such as the NPA and we must all agree that we, together with government, should be united in forbidding even the remote possibility of a lifeline for any peace talks with the NPA. This is exactly what is meant when Secretary Teodoro expressed that the government will not provide any space whatsoever for them to rebuild and instead and as always, will continue to focus on protecting Filipinos from their extortion, exploitation and threats.

It must be said that the NPA is, from the very beginning, insincere. They have and continue to use “talks” to buy time instead of ending the conflict. In truth, because the NPA is a “Jurassic group” as described by Secretary Teodoro, the military has the upper hand and does not even need to compromise whatsoever.

More importantly, the state has its credibility intact by continuing to demand accountability from the group in order to ensure justice for those who have suffered abuse and even death among the ranks of the NPA. This is why it is all the more important that Filipinos understand the whole-of nation approach in order to address the root causes of insurgency.

The tragic Negros attack was explained thoroughly by the Armed Forces chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., who strongly defended the military operation that resulted in the deaths of 19 suspected NPA members, which he specifically said was a legitimate encounter and NOT a massacre. He further noted that the 79th Infantry Battalion operated within the bounds of law based on verified reports from local residents about armed individuals in Barangay Salamanca, Toboso, Negros Occidental.

Brawner continues to defend the engagement against the terror group, especially after a series of civilian killings and lawless terror tactics in the region. Brawner also stated that our soldiers clearly saw the group was fighting against them, also sighting a UP student wearing a combat rig full of ammunition magazines. While rights groups call for an immediate investigation of the incident, it must be noted that there is not enough interest in discussing the same rights that are also of particular importance when it comes to our soldiers who are tasked to fight, protect and defend the people in their communities.

The Toboso encounter is becoming one of the most controversial incidents in recent years; however, the result of the incident cannot deny that it wiped out the insurgent leadership in the area. In the end, this shows why the whole-of-nation approach is crucial to change as it is designed to break the cycle, especially among the idealistic yet yearning youth who are deceived into joining a dying rebellion when issues such as basic social services are far from reach and are used to justify their cause.

The whole-of-nation approach takes away the NPA’s recruitment script so that the military can clear a village and give proper room for civilian agencies to move in, to hold and to build. Secretary Teodoro is right: Filipinos want peace, especially when, as of April 2026, a record of 13,000 former rebels have applied for amnesty. Through the NTF-ELCAC, 12 different government clusters are ensuring they continue working toward one goal – peace.

At the end of the day, the solution to this problem is in the heart of every Filipino – whether it is a soldier who wants to return home, a farmer who dreams of a paved road or young persons who wants to find their place in the world. The road to peace is a road towards a future where the only thing being fought over is how to better serve our communities.

Every conflict eventually finds its sunset and lasting peace requires more than just the absence of war; it requires a government that is more present than the grievance that started it. Truth always steps out of the shadows and into a nation that is truly whole and what we need is a genuine commitment to “all of us.”