‘Chamelionic thinking’

I am a member and military officer of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and have been to many parts of the Bicol Region for various assignments. Our place is considered as one of the country’s hotbeds of insurgency owing to the presence of the Communist Party of the Philippines and the National People’s Army, or the NPA.

As a guardian of peace, I highly support President Duterte’s move toward peace talks with the Reds. I have witnessed and experienced endless fightings with them, the runnings, wailings, the bloodsheds and carcasses after fighting. How many more lives will be lost due to the fightings? How many futures will be gone with the wind due to the NPA ideology? I and the other soldiers find it exasperating to have confrontations with our fellow Filipinos, specially Bicolanos. It is high time we gave peace a chance. However, the question is how sincere really are the NPAs? They have changeable minds like chameleons.