THE peace talks is off because in any negotiation, there should be token actions from both sides to show sincerity. The Philippine government released key communist officials, the Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front-New People's Army (CPP-NDF-NPA) were happy and sat down to talk.
In August 2016, the Philippine government and communist rebels agreed on an indefinite ceasefire, but only unilaterally. Meaning, they did not agree on terms nor protocols, just that they will not shoot each other.
By December, the CPP-NDF-NPA were threatening to terminate their ceasefire demanding that more than 100 political detainees more be released. The government refused instead released some sick detainees.
The CPP-NDF-NPA raised their demand, saying all 400-plus political detainees should be released immediately for government to show that it is sincere in pursuing peace. Again, the government did not budge.
President Rodrigo Duterte, however, was already bristling at the ambush on soldiers in Isabela just last January 30, 2017. Two days later, the NPA terminated its ceasefire, while saying that it will continue to engage in peace with the Duterte administration.
Two more days later, soldiers were killed in yet another NPA-initiated offensives. Apparently, the peace engagement only referred to sitting across the negotiating table in some faraway land, but will be done while rebels on the ground attack government forces.
The President would not have any of that and not only terminated the government's ceasefire but also evoked the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (Jasig) between the government and the communists.
The end.
But should it be the end for us, the people on the ground? Does the suspension of the peace negotiations with the communist rebels mean we will be egging our soldiers to go on an all-out war as many national television news would want to drum up?
Definitely not. As many who have been working in conflict areas are now saying, let the suspension set forth a million peace negotiations, right on the ground.
Let us all remember that inside all combatants, whether they be government soldiers or rebels, are humans with families, with personal concerns, with a community. By reaching out to them as individuals who only want to sit down and listen to their stories or share some time with them, we may be able to assuage the hatred and the desire to kill. Some may even be able to bring out the human behind the guns.
Yes, there will always be those preferring to wage a war. But that does not mean that we will allow our people and our communities to drum up that desire for war. Let a deliberate desire for peace become apparent, in our actions, in our declarations, in our words, and from the mouth of every child.
Let this bump in our aspiration for peace be a challenge for each and everyone to speak in peace, act in peace, and implant the culture of peace in every person we encounter and every child we teach.