EDITORIAL — Sustaining peace

At the start of National Peace Consciousness Month yesterday, President Marcos kicked off the celebration in Puerto Princesa City, where he officially declared Palawan as insurgency-free. The declaration was first made last year by the Palawan Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.

The task force based its declaration on the reports of law enforcement agencies about the absence of both violent and non-violent activities of the New People’s Army in the province since the fourth quarter of 2020. The Mimaropa regional intelligence committee, citing intelligence reports, also said no NPA guerrilla formations have been detected in the province since October 2021.

Palawan is just the latest province to be declared free of communist rebel influence. In September last year, the Armed Forces of the Philippines had declared strategic victory over the threats posed by communist rebels and local terrorist groups. On National Peace Consciousness Month 2022, the AFP said over 75 percent of the communist fronts nationwide had been dismantled.

The accuracy of such declarations is uncertain. But the results of the general elections in 2022 tend to support the claims of state security forces about weakening support for armed struggle and violence. This is good news for those who genuinely believe in the advocacy during National Peace Consciousness Month. The special month was declared in July 2004 through Proclamation No. 657, which expressed support for the United Nations–led global movement to promote “a culture of peace based on nonviolence, respect for fundamental rights and freedoms, tolerance, understanding and solidarity.”

Out of the 89 active guerrilla fronts in July 2016, only five remained, the AFP reported. As of Sept. 20 last year, 2,890 conflict-affected barangays had been cleared. The AFP reported that between July 1, 2016 up to Sept. 26 last year, 10,608 regular NPA members and 4,644 local terrorists had been neutralized, with 41,000 underground members, mass supporters and sympathizers withdrawing their support for the Communist Party of the Philippines, National Democratic Front and their armed wing the NPA. At least 1,386 cities and towns and 31,254 barangays had declared the CPP-NPA as persona non grata, the government also reported.

The challenge for the government is to consolidate its avowed gains and sustain the strategic victory. People resort to armed struggle because of social injustice, yawning inequalities and lack of opportunities. Unless these problems are addressed decisively, peace will remain fragile.