INFORMATION in a form of official statements and press releases have been filling my public email yet again from both fronts of the government military and communist groups. It is quite heart breaking.
If you look and read closely to the fine details of their written words, it would appear we are again heading to a path of chaos. This may only benefit the higher-ups, and woe to the fighters and communities on the ground.
Truly, the president's words are magical and powerful. But beyond his rhetorics are cloud of doubts, something that most of his allies and supporters (and even critics) thought to interpret them.
I mentioned last time about spoilers of peace. They might have existed even before the concept of peace was ever put on the table. They wanted "peace," but should it happen it can be the end of their era, their "careers," and even "business venture."
So it was actually a sigh of relief then that peace talks have been "cancelled," so they can go on about it the way they wanted all along - the joy of combatting. But if only they are actually present on the field where real lives are lost, it would be worthy for them to get that promotion.
But while we are waiting for the president to recant his pronouncements, as he has the tendency to do so in many issues, the ground is mobilizing as it may result to a more confusing course of actions from both camps. This must not be the scenario.
It must have come to a point also that perhaps, "peace" is defined in a different meaning and context. That "peace" may not what it seems to be it is. Who invented peace, anyway? When most of the world history, we only remember the timeline where wars ensued.
But there is a silver-lining from all of this, the president's words may be influential but it is not absolute. Even when he says the communists are terrorists and the consultants of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, who were political prisoners, to be arrested again - this is subject to law and due process.
So when military forces "arrested" suspected communist sympathizers, they did not give the president a favor but only showed ignorance to the due process of the law.
As of this moment, there was no official termination of peace talks. Cabinet members who are known "left-leaning" still continue to serve the people. The president's words may come as a bluff after all. But this one is clear - President Rodrigo Duterte is doing a hard balancing act since he took oath in office.
But this is not only about the president, this is about us and the nation's future. We may worry about his extreme pronouncements but we must worry more on the people and groups who wanted conflict to be ever present, the spoilers of peace who only think of themselves.
We may have varied beliefs but this should not spill the innocent lives away. That is why we should work on for a peace that would benefit all. I believe people at the office if the peace process as well as the communist party's negotiating panel are intelligent enough to weed out the indifferences.
(Nefluczon@gmail.com)