WHEN President Duterte reopened peace talks with communist rebels shortly after he came to power, there was a glimmer of hope that the nation might actually see an end to the decades-long insurgency that has claimed more than 40,000 lives and sapped the productive energy from the economy.
Today, four rounds of negotiation into the peace effort, it is becoming painfully apparent that the government may be talking to the wrong people, and that the gang of aging communist leaders in the National Democratic Front, pontificating from exile in Europe, could no longer speak for the New People’s Army guerrillas on the ground back home.
Nowhere was this more apparent than in the latest pronouncement by NDF chief negotiator Fidel Agcaoili, who called for an end to NPA attacks on government forces in Mindanao, where troops are battling Islamic State-inspired terrorist groups who launched an attack on Marawi City on May 23.
“For all forces to be able to concentrate against Maute, Abu Sayyaf and AKP (Ansar Al Khilafah Philippines) groups, the NDFP has recommended to the CPP to order all other NPA units in Mindanao to refrain from carrying out offensive operations against the Armed Forces of the Philippines [AFP] and Philippine National Police [PNP],” Agcaoili said, provided, however, that the government orders the military “to refrain from carrying out offensive operations against the NPA and people’s militia.”
The NDF also reiterated its declaration opposing terrorism, saying they were “determined to counteract the Maute, Abu Sayyaf and AKP groups, which are wreaking havoc in Marawi City.”
Soon after the government’s top negotiator reciprocated, however, new clashes were reported, casting doubt on the ability of both sides to control their forces on the ground.
In Iloilo, about 50 NPA guerrillas attacked a police station in Maasin and took an undetermined number of firearms after handcuffing the policemen on duty.
The government quickly condemned the NPA attack that came right after both sides said they would refrain from attacking each other as a confidence-building measure.
“Although the attack was not in Mindanao, the act was opportunistic in nature and disregards the nature of the NDF declaration,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said.
Armed Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla also said it was clear the NPA objective was to get more arms, because they knew that defenses elsewhere were weakened as a result of the siege in Marawi City.
This was hardly the first time communist leaders seemed unable to control their own people. After President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law in Mindanao to deal with the Maute terrorist rampage, the CPP ordered NPA to launch more attacks on government forces to register their opposition to military rule—even though the NDF was talking about peace.
Given this poor track record, it is hardly any wonder that the latest opinion polls show Filipinos distrust the NDF (-10 percent trust rating) and the CPP/NPA (-27 percent).
Surely, even the communist leaders ensconced in Europe must know this distrust must be dealt with before peace efforts truly and finally prosper.