EDITORIAL – Groundswell of support

STRIKE while the iron is hot. All peace-loving Filipinos, most especially the indomitable advocates who have braved all odds to advance the cause of peace in so many creative ways, should not make the mistake of being deluded that the work is done and that they can afford to slide into nonchalance.
As it is, the framework agreement on the Bangsamoro, while maybe considered a breakthrough it itself,  still requires so many things to be done before true lasting peace can be achieved.
For one, more than ever, there is a need to expand and strengthen the constituency for peace in order to sustain the momentum of the framework deal.
To be sure, this preliminary step – the framework agreement – is not an inscrutable document, much less a perfect one. The stakeholders should take advantage of the invitation to scrutinize and debate the issues involved in the great peace that is about to be achieved. All Filipinos who care about peace –and we should all be if we know what is good for us –participate in the discussions through all available platforms, including cyberspace and social media, never mind the threat that the questionable Libel portion of the Cybercrime Protection Act poses on our freedom of expression.
The constituency for peace must be sustained not only for peace and progress in Mindanao, but more importantly for the entire country. Let us not forget that aside from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, there is also the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army- National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) that the government should strike peace with.
The peace that the government can strike with the MILF will certainly have some positive impact in its stalled talks with the CPP-NPA-NDF.