EDITORIAL - What are they still fighting for?

Last Thursday, government troops and New People’s Army rebels clashed in Barangay Gatuslao, Candoni, Negros Occidental. The encounter led to the deaths of six rebels during the clash. Two more were later found dead when government troops followed the trails of escaping rebels.

The general reaction from the public to this news would probably be: What? There are still NPAs left? Yes, they are still around.

Which leads us to ask the question: What are they still fighting for?

For one, their supposed figurehead in Jose Maria Sison is dead. There is no one else to please anymore with their supposed loyalty. They have no more competent leader to put up in the nonexistent chance they can achieve what they consider victory.

For another, the people do not support their cause. Yes, sure, the concept of armed struggle may sound noble and even romantic when placed in the same context as the French resistance against the Nazis, or how poor neighborhoods band together to fight for freedom from a Latin American dictatorship, but that is not the situation here.

We are in a country where people are free to make their choices. We are not being occupied or under a dictatorship. Yes, it’s true that our social justice system and delivery of basic services still need improvement, but we aren’t a country that needs an armed struggle against the duly-elected authority.

In short, theirs is a lost cause.

But then again, not all is really lost for them. Giving up the armed struggle will not just mean no longer starving in their forest “strongholds”, or seeing their comrades whittled down and killed in encounters, it means actually rejoining society where they can become contributing members.

It’s not too late for them to make this decision.