The civil conflict in the country comprises of insurgencies involving different factions that began during the era of former President Ferdinand Marcos.
In the last four years alone, 228 plus soldiers were killed, 1,578 plus among Abu Sayyaf, and 189 among Maute Group, 215 among BIFF.
Overall, it is estimated that the combat-related deaths since 1969 reached more or less 40,000.
There were kidnapping of locals and foreigners, extortion and killings. And the crimes involving these continued, and to the very least, gone down, statistically.
But the deaths involving Filipinos who come from the government forces and the insurgents continue. Is killing necessary?
Under the Duterte regime, peace talks have been resurrected, but then again, after the continuous clashes in the field, the aim for a peaceful resolution seemed far-fetched from reality. Many have died, unceasingly, and people – the civilians are taking the tolls.
Just very recently, in Taytay, Palawan, two police officers succumbed to an ambuscade. This reminds us again, that the conflict is not yet over, and the government is trying all its efforts that this will be resolved soonest possible.
In February, President Duterte remarked that in each death of every solider would equal to 5 NPA rebels. This after CPP founding chair Jose Maria Sison’s pronouncement that it is capable of launching attacks that could kill one government soldier a day.
But the botched peace talks may be the only solution to end these ruthless killings.
Last June, almost half of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’s 2018 budget is allocated to fight the communists, with its members between 3,700 and 5,000.
The budget amounted to P195.4 billion for 2018 will be used for salaries, maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE).
The AFP is hopeful that it will put the war into end knowing that that as per records since 2017, there’s a downward trend in enemy atrocities.
In spite of these deaths, there are, still, members of armed groups surrendering, and their lives have changed dramatically for good.
For all we know, the same brothers and sisters killing in the field are all Filipinos. Is killing really necessary?
We hope one day, sooner or later, Philippines will be free from the insurgencies, where there will be no more conflicts and that our motherland will be a killing field no more.