Some people are way too naïve. Take Harry Roque for example.
They cannot see the forest for the trees. Maute? How about the MNLF and MILF which are armed terrorist groups allowed to walk around freely and have threatened that if they do not get the BBL they want they will not lay down their arms?
What about the claim of martial law being the cause preventing Maute from resurrecting? Is it really martial law that has stopped Maute or is it the hard efforts of the AFP? Would the AFP be going after Maute if there were no martial law? Let's take a look at some of AFP's hard work fighting the Maute Group.
Two out of five Maute-ISIS members which were reported killed in an encounter with the government forces Sunday in the boundary of Tubaran and Pagayawan towns in Lanao del Sur were already known.
They are identified as Allan Alamid and Amin Macarimbang which names were not cleared whether its genuine or an alias.
However, Joint Task Force Ranao Deputy Commander Colonel Romeo Brawner, Jr., clarified that these names are based on the report by the civilians in the area. As of this time, the troops have not seen nor recovered any human remains of the five that were killed, he said.
The military operation has started last Friday against the remnants of Maute-ISIS led by Owayda Benito Marohombsar alias Abu Dar which was appointed emir or leader of ISIS following the death of Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon at the height of the Marawi siege that happen last year.
That even the war has already ended, they continually recruit new members especially the young individuals whose parents have died in the Marawi crisis.
How does the AFP know anyone was killed when they have not seen any bodies!?
It does not follow that martial law has prevented Maute from making any gains when they have also claimed that Maute continues to recruit members in Mindanao. Why has martial law not prevented Maute from recruiting but it has prevented Maute from making "tangible gains?" In what way does recruiting new members differ from "tangible gains?" Is not winning the hearts and minds a "tangible gain?" Roque's claim is nonsense. But the media and the general public will take his statement about Maute not making "tangible gains" due to martial law at face value and they will nod their heads and applaud the Duterte administration for their efforts. We love and need martial law say the Mindanaoans.
Pure naïvety.
Everyone putting any kid of faith in revived peace talks between the CPP and the government are also naïve.
“Although there has been a postponement of the planned formal round in Oslo this month (June 2018), I am optimistic that it will be back on track very soon, but this is of course up to the parties to decide,” Førner said.
Førner, who served four years in the country, had led the efforts of the Royal Norwegian Government, not just in the peace process between the government and the National Democratic Front (NDF) but also in the peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
Oslo serves as the third party facilitator in the case of the government-NDF talks and maintains a crucial role in the International Monitoring Team and the Independent Decommissioning Body (IDB) in the Bangsamoro.
“Facilitating the peace processes in the Philippines is both a challenging yet a rewarding task,” Førner said.
"Facilitating the peace processes in the Philippines is both a challenging yet a rewarding task." That is the height of naïvety. How is the peace coming along? The Independent Decommissioning Body is the organisation tasked with decommissioning the MILF terrorists but MILF says there will be no decommissioning if they do not get the BBL they want.
The IDB will oversee the process of decommissioning, and it shall be composed of 3 foreign experts and 4 local experts jointly nominated by the parties. It will conduct an inventory, verification and validation of Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) members' arms and weapons, develop and implement a schedule of decommissioning, plan, design and implement techniques and technologies for weapons collection or retrieval, transport, storage and putting weapons beyond use.
The decommissioning process is scheduled to take place on a staggered basis alongside the establishment of the Bangsamoro through the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law, which has to be ratified in a plebiscite. Once it hurdles a plebiscite, a Bangsamoro Transition Authority will be established to replace the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao prior to the election of Bangsamoro officials.
http://news.abs-cbn.com/nation/01/29/15/milf-govt-sign-terms-decommissioning-body
That sounds good on paper but so does the Constitution. Reality is always a little different.
How about these talks with the CPP? Duterte is insistent, for now, that they be held in the Philippines.
He has also suspended all talks for three months.
“The government team also conveyed the Philippine government’s decision to suspend all backchannel talks with the NDF pending the three-month review of all signed agreements related to the peace negotiations,” Braganza said in a statement.
That word "all" means ALL. Duterte wants to take a look at every agreement ever entered into with the communists.
That will be a lot of reading. Does he have time for that? He also wants to consult with the public so they are aware of what is happening. Thankfully the CPP is jus fine with that.
The talks definitely aren't being postponed because of the AFP's planned all-out war against the reds.
“Their reason was to be able to study the signed stand down agreement and how to implement it. In that briefing there was no talk of an all-out war but to continue what they have been doing in the past months, I.e., continue their normal security operations to maintain peace and order in the country,” Lorenzana said.
“If we want an all-out war we would not only request for postponement but termination of the peace talks,” he added.
Hmmmmmmmm.....
That headline is from March 2017.
What does the government even want? War or peace? Or both? Neither? Either way the peace talks are on. Even though for the moment they are not.
If Lady Luck gives the Philippines a big kiss Duterte might just have his dream come true.
Part of the proposed agreement was a face-to-face meeting between Sison and President Rodrigo Duterte to “discuss the peace process and other matters.”
Casambre said it was still “technically” possible for Sison to return to the country by the second week of August despite the postponement.
But he said holding peace talks here was “non-negotiable,” citing the possible arrest of peace negotiators and consultants of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.
If the CPP dos not want to hold the peace talks in the Philippines because of possible arrests and if Joma Sison says Duterte's insistence on holding the talks in the Philippines is a deal breaker then why would he fly to the Philippines to talk with Duterte about the peace process or for any other reason? It defies sense. It is unbelievable.
When it comes to the peace processes in the Philippines between the communists and the Muslims it's better to not believe the hype. A healthy dose of skepticism will keep one from the disease of naïvety.
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