Peace begets human rights and Duterte’s ceasefire declaration

HAPPY WEEKEND

By Gina Dizon

It was not long ago in the late 1980s when  angry and grieving Sagada on the death of  three children caught at the height of communist insurgency in this northern part of the county unilaterally declared a demilitarized  zone. The people did not want their community to be disturbed and endangered and afraid. The people wanted to move about freely in their immediate surroundings and work safely in the fields where agricultural lots are found in mountainsides.

This part of Sagada’s history makes a vivid example of what President Rodrigo Duterte wants to happen in the country with his declaration of ceasefire with the Communist Party of the Philippines -New Peoples Army (CPP-NPA) and expects the latter to do the same. 

                A people living in peace to enable livelihood and overall economy for the country.

And here in Sagada  27 years back, a  petition was then  forwarded  by the people for the demilitarization of the town referring to the total pull out from all armed groups within the municipality’s geographical jurisdiction. The petition directed to the Philippine Army  and to New Peoples Army demanded the following- no armed conflict and no detachment of both AFP and NPA inside Sagada, no harassment and searches of contending forces, and that Sagada be a designated area for peaceful negotiation. 

From the remote Sagada  in the northern part of this agricultural  country to southern Mindanao, peace is long sought  for.

Sagada as a peace zone was eventually recognized in 1993 by Senate Resolution 435  forwarded by then Senator Rodolfo Biazon which identified Sagada as a special development area along with six other special development areas in the country, and each area allotted a P5 million development fund. And so the long controversial P5 million waterworks in town.

The National Unification Commission then conducted public consultations in the country to find ways and means to attain lasting peace and reconciliation; and noted that internal armed conflict has hampered the economic development of the government particularly that of infrastructure, education and basic services.

The peace zone was violated in different times. This alarmed  the people and when people see military forces would  tell them to get out because  Sagada is a peace zone.

The reasons are basically calls for peace for people to move about freely, safely and unthreatened of danger in their surroundings.

In the same case that nearby folks in Bontoc wanted  the NPA to leave Bontoc following the death of five soldiers due to an ambush staged by the rebels in barangay Mainit  five years ago.  People here wanted to move about safely to breathe and  work in their localities.

Sagada and Bontoc are two among agricultural towns of  Mountain Province where armed forces from opposing AFP and NPA camps finds incidents of fighting  each other.  These remote areas locates people working in the fields who want their community demilitarized and  armed forces not seen in their vicinities.

And now with the declaration of ceasefire with the CPP-NPA  by President  Rodrigo Duterte.

Duterte laid the ground to make peace happen- peace talks with CPP founder  Joma Sison, friendly relations with left leaning activists, and entering the camp of  the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and talking peace with them.  

All marred by the death of one and the wounding of four  elements of the Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (CAFGU)  due an ambush staged by the  CPP-NPA at Davao del Norte  just two days after the declaration of ceasefire with the rebel group by President Duterte.

This resulting to the immediate lifting of the declaration by the President himself after failure of the CPP-NPA to issue a mutual ceasefire.

For what could have  been a smooth transition to peace was  rattled with this CAFGU ambush whatever could have been the reason  to weaken the peace process.

Sincerity is a question. Sincerity is seen in the pronouncement of  Duterte for a ceasefire with the CPP-NPA along with other indications as accommodating the left in his Cabinet. It is a question  if  structures under Duterte have accordingly done their part.

Sincerity on the part of the CPP-NDF is also a question much as they were on the offensive when the  incident happened, though claimed that the Philippine Army were the ones on the offensive.

The military have  their side of the story.

Calls for ceasefire present a situation where both armed groups are on the active-defense mode wary on any incident which could kill their ranks. This  calling for the need to investigate the incident what group could have triggered the incident to happen on whether it was planned and deliberate or it just happened considering given situations. Where it may have been planned determines what could be the sincerity or insincerity of either group.    

Peace talks between the Philippine  government and the CPP-NPA are scheduled August 20,  enough time for both sides to see where the loopholes were in the Davao del Norte  ambush incident  towards a common objective of making hard core ideologies and policies pro- people and pro-country  happen both from the sides of government and CPP-NPA.

And people shall be waiting for concrete and sincere agreements and  results towards a lasting peace that every country- loving Filipino want to happen.

For what could be a reason to fight or make peace than to fight or make peace for the country, not for the self nor any ideology per se but for a community where people could breathe and move about freely enjoying their rights to life, liberty, livelihood  and property  to add to a just governance where public funds redound to whom these should redound to – the people. 

Unless it is a fight for power.