A newly-retired classmate of PNP chief, General Benjie Acorda from Philippine Military Academy ‘Sambisig’ Class of 1991 has openly aired his apprehension over ongoing exploratory talks between the government and the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front.

Filmore Escobal, the erstwhile commander of the Area Police Command-Eastern Mindanao has turned ‘hawk’ among the doves in the government and became the first newly-retired police general to voice out his concern over the exploratory talks.

“As a citizen, as a voter and a taxpayer, I demand answer from my government, the Government of the Republic of the Philippines. I would like most of all to ask the GRP panel if they treat the CPP-NPA-NDF as a co-equal of the government,” said the former Police Regional Office 11 director in Southern Mindanao who retired from the police force last November 5.

According to Escobal, Local Peace Efforts had been very effectively and efficiently headed by the governors and mayors in their respective areas, resulting in the substantial surrender of several NPA members, their underground movement and supporters.

“So it is very unfair to state that there is no peace talks conducted before,” he said Escobal added that the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict is also engaging directly with those affected by this conflict.

“Why talk to the criminal masterminds when they are the most guilty and enablers of criminal activity,” he asked. Escobal also said that amnesty should be for the minors, the 16 years old recruited as child soldiers and reach the legal age while in the NPA criminal organization as they were employed under duress.

“They are the ones most affected because they already surrendered but the ongoing cases against them prevents them from being integrated to the mainstream. There’s so many of them specially from the Indigenous People or Ips,” he said.

He also asked what will be the effect of the amnesty to the cases against the masterminds of the IP children from Talaingod who are victims of child abuse. He was referring to the kidnapping and human trafficking charges filed against former Bayan Muna Representative Satur Ocampo and ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro and 16 others in November 2018 in connection with the supposed trafficking of 14 children from Talaingod, Davao del Norte.

Ocampo, Castro and over 70 delegates of the National Solidarity Mission were arrested by security forces manning a checkpoint in Talaingod and charged for violation of Republic Act 10364 or the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012, in relation to RA 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act, kidnapping, and failure to return a minor.

Leftist lawmakers comprising the so-called Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives denounced what they called as ‘illegal arrest’ and the filing of ‘trumped-up charges’ against the accused who were charged in court for failing to show documents that the 14 minors they were traveling with when they were stopped at the checkpoint were there with their parents’ consent.

Escobal emphasized that the Local Peace Engagements has achieved breakthrough results as surrenderers grew in numbers and mass base support shifted to the government when Barangay Development Program or BDP-funded projects were implemented and completed.

He likewise maintained that as far as he is concerned, the CPP-NPA-NDF represented by the NDF panel is not a ‘co-equal’ of the Government of the Philippines. “GRP is a constitutional government created by a Constitution ratified by the People. While the NDF? I don’t know where their legitimacy emanates? From the CPP? From rules crafted by CPP political officers, people who want to seize power through the use of violence they call “armed struggle” waged by NPA criminal organization to install a communist state,? said the retired official.

The retired general earlier submitted his position paper to the Lower House regarding a proposed bill for the institutionalization of the Revitalized-Pulis sa Barangay or R-PSB program nationwide thru the enactment of a law creating a Barangay Level Police Unit. Escobal and his former deputy at the PRO11, now Major Gen. Edgar Alan Okubo were behind the successful R-PSB program in Southern Mindanao.

The R-PSB program has been described as a major tool in defeating the communist insurgency in Davao region and keeping the ‘poorest of the poor’ from NPA recruitment activities by providing them with real government service they need.

Now, Escobal is harping on why talk with the rebels again. “Supported by only 3 lawmakers in congress. So as a voter and as a citizen of this republic, i want to be clarified whether or not they treat the other panel as representative of a co-equal government, which by the way, the NDF panel is representing a designated terrorist organization not only by Anti-Terrorist Council but by the United States and the European Union. And by the Regional Peace and Order Council 11 in a resolution which classified the CPP-NPA-NDF as an organized crime group,” he said.

He also said that signed communique appears to be a document which treats each other as co-equal. “This leads me to another question. Whether or not this signed document brings back to life the previously signed agreements (CAHRIHL) which was rendered inoperative when the previous administration terminated the negotiation with CPP-NPA-NDF,” he said.

Prior to Escobal’s outburst, top government officials aired their full support to PBBM’s decision to restart peace talks with the NDF. Speaker Martin Romualdez said the House fully support the President’s decision which he said shows the latter’s willingness to listen to communist rebels’ grievances and attain a peaceful, united and progressive nation.

Gen. Acorda also said they fully support the Oslo Joint Communique between the Philippine government and the NDF aimed at helping put an end to the more than five-decades old communist insurgency in the country.

“This is a very welcome development, I hope this will lead really to a long and lasting peace and I look at it as way of adding more food to the table, sa mga Pilipino, and instead of spending more money for the above, ammunition and other armaments, madadagdagan po iyong ating mga makinarya at saka mga istraktura that will help us attain maximum development,” the PNP chief whose term was extended by PBBM until March 31 next year said.

`Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Charlie Galvez also said that it is a significant milestone in the Filipino people’s quest to achieve peace, reconciliation, and unity. The former AFP chief of staff said there will be some sort of collective positions between parties that they are very firm and committed to have a final discussions on the final peace agreement.

For his part, Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro said that although the joint communiqué still has no immediate effect on the ground, an eventual peace pact with the rebels will eliminate the basis for them to wage armed struggle in the country.

AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said that the joint communiqué is very good news for the military “because it is the soldier, more than anybody else, who wants lasting peace.”

“Kasi nga po para sa amin, parang naging personal na itong laban na ito. Marami sa aming kasamahan ang namatay dahil dito sa insurgency na ito. Marami sa aming kamag-anak, pinsan ko mismo, namatay sa kamay ng New People’s Army,” said Brawner who also described the news as a ‘personal victory for us.’

Lastly, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año expressed belief that it is time to put closure to five decades of armed communist rebellion in the country. Also a former AFP chief, Sec. Año expressed hope that the exploratory discussion would lead to a final peace accord that will end the conflict considering that, based on world’s history, all wars ended in negotiations and settlements.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Alfred P. Dalizon