Saturday, July 21, 2007 Aguilar: Peace with the Left still the best bet for stability for now By George Aguilar Rational Animal
THIS writer has said it so many times before; impeachment is no longer the concern of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Seemingly, she has passed the test fore now and weathered all the storms and brick bats from the local opposition. The greatest danger to her administration as of this moment lies across the seas. Already she is hard press to stop political killings, something that she isn't inclined to do or simply powerless to stop. The fear is that she is no longer in control of the military. This has been the case for sometime now, probably the price she had to pay for the military and Ramos getting her out of the Garci scandal.
But even the military would listen to big brother out there. Take Esperon's sudden 180 degree turn. One moment he is hell bent on finishing the CPP-NPA by 2010. All of a sudden he is singing a peace song and asking for a three year truce with the red soldiers? Someone must have told him or GMA that the AFP cannot eradicate the NPA even in 50 years time. Someone must have told him that peace is the preferable option or the only way out. This would explain the sudden change of heart.
But peace really is the only way out for the GMA administration for the moment. Her trust ratings have not improved. True it hasn't collapsed yet but that was before the political killing summit took place, the kidnapping of Bossi, and the renewed troubles in Mindanao. The political killings and the slaying of journalists go on and on. The concern over this particular problem cuts across all sectors and transcends ideological boundaries. Every body, except the perpetrators, really want the killings to stop.
The US and EU have been nagging Gloria about these killings and they are about to loose their patience. Fr. Bossi is still missing and the pressure to find and secure the good Italian priest grows day by day. The Burgos case is still pending and even the Bishop's and the Americans have raised their concern for this particular case to be resolved. Also, the Sandigan Bayan is about to declare its verdict on the Estrada case. Convict Erap and there will be hell to pay. And acquitting Erap would also be problematic for this government. Then there's the danger of loosing the peace initiative in Mindanao due to the senseless ambush of marines who were on a humanitarian mission to find and rescue Bossi in Basilan.
Going after the MILF for ambushing the marines will throw a large and hard wrench into the peace process between the GRP and the MILF. But letting the ambush go unpunished may land GMA into more hot water with the troops and the people who are screaming for vengeance. Yes, it's not just the enlisted personnel and the NCOs who want to get back at the people who bush whacked the marines in Basilan. Even the ordinary chap in the streets is crying for MILF heads. GMA really does want to leave a lasting legacy to her troubled administrative years in office. She would have had one if she was able to land a peace deal with the MILF. But at the rate things are going in Basilan peace in Mindanao is going to be harder to forge from now on.
My unsolicited advise to anyone in Malacanang who would listen. Get Bossi out and alive. Do this even if it means unleashing the dogs of war. If Fr. Bossi is not freed then her credibility with the international community will dive lower than it already is. Next solve the Jonas Burgos case. While she is at it she should stop the political killings so she can get on the good side of the Church, Civil Society, and the Philippine Left. And yes, do forge a peace pack with the Left. If that is so hard to do then at least allow the talks between the GRP and the CPP-NPA to resume.
If GMA can forge peace with the left then that would be her lasting legacy that will allow the people to remember her not too unkindly in the future. If GMA can't get any positive resolution to all the above mentioned problems soon then even people from across the seas may see to it that she is toppled even before her term ends in 2020. Peace really is still the best bet to stability in the land.
