Sector groups in Davao City on Wednesday lamented the termination of the peace negotiation of government with the National Democratic Front due to the declaration of all-out war by President Duterte against New People’s Army.
Anak Mindanao Secretary General Tom del Monte, in an email message sent to Edge, said that it is a “miserable way” to end the strides that the peace process with the communists had achieved, adding that government was on the right tract and several gains were attained.
“War is never an option; in war the civilians are the sure losers,” Del Monte pointed out.
He added that hundreds of thousands of Indigenous Peoples of Mindanao were affected by the fighting between forces of government and the NPA.
Del Monte explained that the IPs were killed and uprooted from their dwellings and sources of livelihood notwithstanding the psychological effect of conflict to women and children.
The war in the Moro region, as shown in the conflict in Mindanao, forced more than 123,000 people or 24,700 families to flee their homes.
“We hope that this development in the NDF peace process will not be the template of government in the doing the peace process with the Moro fronts,” Del Monte said.
Meanwhile, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan on Wednesday morning also showed its disappointments through a protest near Davao City Police Office as they condemn the successive violent dispersals carried out by the state forces.
“Dako ang papel sa peace negotiations sa paglambo sa Pilipinas,” BAYAN Spokesperson Sheena Duazo explained to the reporters Wednesday in an interview.
Duazo noted that both the Communist Party of the Philippines and Philippine government has already tackled and signed the Comprehensive Agreement on Socioeconomic Reforms during its third round of peace negotiations in Rome.
Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms (CASER) outlines the necessary reforms to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality in the country.
According to Duazo, serious issues such as agrarian reform, national industrialization, economic sovereignty, rights of the working people, social services, and environmental protection were all included in the CASER to move forward in achieving just and lasting peace.
“The socio-economic struggle of the Filipino people for own land to till, decent jobs with living wages, and free and quality education defines the ongoing armed conflict in the country, CASER addresses these issues for the oppressed and the marginalized,” she said in Cebuano.
Duazo added that they were surprised with the sudden lifting of the ceasefire of both the government and NPA and they are also condemning the fascist military operations.
“There were no formal guidelines yet they [military] have already attacked the communities,” she said, pointing out that the civilians are the most affected people in the operations.
She also urged President Duterte to reconsider the peace process as the best option to solve the insurgency and also to the communist rebels to abide by the initial agreements.
