MANILA STANDARD EDITORIAL: PURSUING PEACE
MANILA, OCTOBER 26, 2011 (STANDARD) The death of 19 soldiers in Basilan last week and the subsequent attacks by the Moro Islamic Front spurred public indignation and heightened the clamor for the government to abandon the peace talks with the Muslim separatists.
A former President, Joseph Estrada, criticized the administration for being soft on the rebels. Estrada reminded the public of the all-out war he himself waged against the same enemy in 2000, which resulted in the fall of Camp Abubakar, stronghold of the MILF in Mindanao. Estrada also talked about the Americans' vested interest in "helping" forge a peace pact between the Philippine government and the Muslim rebels.
President Benigno Aquino III himself said that declaring an all-out war on the MILF was tempting. In the end, however, he decided against waging war. He said he was for "all-out justice" instead.
At the onset, Aquino was castigated for showing underwhelming reaction to the death of the solidiers. His advisers for the peace process described the Basilan attack as an isolated incident. Indeed, what was launched Monday, as a belated response to the killings, were offensives aimed at the Abu Sayyaf bandits—not the MILF. The government is not pulling out of the peace negotiations.
Unfortunately, those on the ground say it is difficult to ascertain the affiliations of the criminals, especially since some Abu Sayyaf bandits can freely come to what is known as MILF territory—itself an affront to the government.
Of course, Mr. Aquino cannot be expected to heed Estrada's suggestions. After all, Estrada may have resorted to the 2000 offensive partly as a way to divert the public's attention from the scandals rocking his presidency at the time.
Mr. Aquino himself has been criticized for meeting secretly with an MILF leader in Japan—as though they were of equal rank. Some quarters say he must have made promises to the rebels, promises still unknown to the public. And then, a war-ravaged island would not be receptive to the changes the administration seeks to introduce in Muslim Mindanao, even as those are meant to do away with poverty and bad governance. It could also be that Mr. Aquino actually believes the rebels are as eager to achieve peace and are as sincere as he is.
Nobody knows what the MILF and its numerous breakaway groups would be up to next. The administration may be dealing with a few individuals, but the rest of the group may be wanting, and plotting, something else. The government must send the message that some things are simply non-negotiable.
Who matter most are not the Muslim rebels who may be saying one thing and doing another. They are, rather, the people of Mindanao who rightfully belong to the republic, and who have as much right as every one of us to live in peace and security. Now that's justice.
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Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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