Insurgency's end: What if BBM forges a peace deal with CPP-NPA-NDF before his term expires?

First word

IT was encouraging to read in The Times last Tuesday that government negotiators meeting with the CPP-NPA-NDF have broken ground in their mission to forge a framework for a final peace agreement between the government and the communist insurgents. They are upbeat that the Marcos government can forge a lasting peace with the CPP-NPA-NDF and finally end the over half-a-century-old communist insurgency.

While I am appreciative of and sympathetic with the exertions of our representatives and senators to expose the ugly truth of ex-president Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs, and to unveil the real personas of Vice President Sara Duterte, Alice Guo, Cassandra Ong and Harry Roque, I must say that the very idea of a termination to the communist insurgency is a far more significant and exciting story.

Nothing ugly or salacious that Congress can uncover about these personages can exceed the delight of being able to say «goodbye, farewell and amen» to the communist insurgency. What the nation has lost in blood and treasure in this senseless conflict is such a tragedy that even mere speculation about its possible termination is already thrilling in itself.

Exploratory talks

Presidential peace adviser Carlito Galvez Jr., who made the announcement in a briefing in Malacañang, expressed high optimism about the prospects of a final peace agreement with the Communist Party of the Philippines, the New People's Army and the National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF in shorthand).

Elaborating, Galvez said: «Very, very optimistic, yes, within the term of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., or even before his term ends.»

He explained: «Exploratory talks are ongoing, and as you saw, we had the mission statement from last November,» referring to the joint communiques signed by both government and communist sides in Oslo, Norway, last year.

The government and the NDF, the political wing of the CPP and the NPA, have agreed to a principled and peaceful resolution to the insurgency.

The two sides agreed to hold dialogues on a peace and transformation framework that focuses on addressing further the socioeconomic and political drivers of the armed conflict.

Galvez explained that