Name: Marielle Erika V.

Placio

Course & Section: AB Foreign Service FS302

Subject: International Political Economy

Professor: Sir Jumel G. Estrañero

Date: February 25, 2018

The Inextinguishable Flames of Insurgency

Insurgency is defined as an active revolt to topple the governing body of a

state. The term insurgency is usually used for rebellious acts that have not met the
standards of an organized revolution. After the Second World War, Communists
states urged the support of insurgency which usually invoked the principle of
national-self-determination as an “excuse”. These insurgencies are not, however,
recognized as belligerents, in accordance with the traditional international law,
therefore, are not subject to the rights belligerents have.

The Communist Party of The Philippines and the New People’s army have
been the leading insurgents in the Philippines; they have been actively trying to
overthrow the government since 1960’s and after many government successions,
the issue with these insurgents have yet to be settled. These successive Philippine
governments have different levels of success in dealing with them, but until the
present, they are yet to be defeated. Perhaps some of the reason lies in the
government lacking analysis and application of the lessons history has to offer.

As an example, not until the Duterte Administration did these groups been
labelled ‘terrorists’ and they do deserve it; instilling fear to villages, citizens, extorting
money, and doing acts that no longer stand for the ideology they claim to fight for.
They are not revolutionaries who have a noble goal of overthrowing a corrupt
government; they are terrorists who have been consumed by greed. However, the
government has also been lacking in dealing with them. No matter how they bomb
and destroy rebel camps and rebel soldiers, CPP-NPA will not disappear; violence
won’t solve the issue, it might as well fuel it as fallen rebels stir vengeance to their
comrades. As Albert Einstein says “Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be
achieved with understanding.” If the government can’t handle their agendas, then
they need to come up with a better one.

These ideals are for the benefit of the innocent citizens, however, it cannot be
easy to achieve in reality. The government have tried to negotiate with them
countless times; and in every one of these negotiation, something unpleasant
happened, when people let their guard down, they raid a village. They extort
“revolutionary taxes” from vehicles and transports passing by their “territory”. They
are then not to be trusted with mutual cooperation in keeping peace. Is this still then
the government’s fault?

The government has acted against these terrorist groups, however, it is not
enough. The government needs to be firmer in dealing with them. They should
employ strategies and policies, and conduct never-ending researches in ways of
dealing with them. They should strive harder if they truly wish for peace in our
country. The problem with government officials as well as citizens is that they have
so little love for our nation. They first serve themselves, their own interests before the
country. Youths are hardly educated in these areas; discipline is not instilled in our
minds. Perhaps trying a different political strategy can reduce the numbers of
insurgents. Perhaps solving the economic problems of the islands can help alleviate
poverty, thus deterring poor people from taking up offers of money from terrorists. It
is the government and the politicians’ duty to seek out the best policy for a nation,
maybe democracy isn’t the answer, maybe a unitary form of government is only
beneficial to the ones near the capital; if so then Federalism might solve some of the
root problems of the country. History has seen this all before, yet why do we not
learn from it? Surely if we keep seeking answers, we will one day find the solutions.