THE VIEW FROM RIZAL
Recent developments in the country and on the global stage boosted hopes that we may experience a stronger sense of peace during this year’s Christmas.
Here in our country, President Bongbong Marcos, Jr. made a bold and noble move to convey to our legislators not to proceed with rumored plans to initiate the impeachment of the Vice President. The President made the request “in private,” underscoring the magnanimity of his action. He pointed out that if Congress were to pursue that rumored plan, it would take the nation’s attention away from more urgent tasks. The tension is unnecessary, he said, noting that the apparent political tension is nothing more than “a storm in a teacup.”
Based on news reports, our congressmen had respected the President’s direction and a number of them had publicly stated that “there is no such plan.”
The President may not mention this, but to the ordinary Filipinos, his move may have prevented the escalation of political tension. We laud this move. This underscores the magnanimity of the country’s chief executive. His gesture conveys the unspoken message that he has no intention of getting back at his adversaries, a gentlemanly act now seldom seen in the political arena.
We also laud the initiatives on the part of the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, General Romeo Brawner Jr., to distance our troops from the political conflict. He was quick to issue his “stay away” call in the face of apparent attempts on the part of some unscrupulous individuals to create perceptions that there is restiveness in the ranks of the military.
The actions of the President and of the Chief of Staff boosted to our hopes for peace in this season. We have witnessed the exercise of sterling national leadership at one of its finest moments.
Elsewhere, the bid for global peace appears to be gaining ground.
Just recently, we heard the announcement that Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire.
The ceasefire agreement was brokered by the United States and France. It aims to “promote conditions for a permanent and comprehensive situation” which can bring about a “permanent cessation of hostilities.”
This is a 60-day ceasefire and is the first major breakthrough in the effort to de-escalate tension in the Middle East, which many feared could only worsen and lead to an expanded regional conflict. For a while, we shared the view of many that such a breakthrough was “near impossible.” Some skeptics doubt that the ceasefire would hold. Well, what matters is that such an agreement has been signed by the parties in the conflict, and there appears to be a consensus that all sides want a path to peace.
Thanks to unrelenting efforts at international diplomacy, world leaders have shown us that “peace is possible.”
We are now praying that a similar breakthrough could take place in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. There are hints that “peace is possible” on that delicate front.
Recently, President-elect Donald Trump of the United States named retired US Army General Keith Kellogg to serve as Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia. That tells us that the incoming US administration will focus a lot of energy on de-escalating the conflict in that part of the world.
General Kellogg has already reportedly begun work to lay out a peace plan. He called the war “an avoidable crisis,” and is said to be serious about making sure that both Russia and Ukraine would sit down at the negotiating table.
It was heartening to learn that Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has openly expressed his willingness “to work directly with US President-elect Trump” in resolving the conflict. He said his government is “open to ideas.” Being “open” is an important step in conflict resolution.
There are concerns that his Russian counterpart, President Vladimir Putin, “may not be ready to end the war.” The Russian President, however, has been quoted as “praising Trump,” and “describing him as an intelligent and experienced politician capable of finding solutions.”
We hope that Putin’s praise of the incoming US President is an indication that he would find the latter’s “solutions” valuable, and that among them is a return to the negotiating table.
Many observers appear to be viewing these developments with guarded optimism. Others are skeptical about the prospects of peace. We opt to view these developments as sources of hope. Using General Kellogg’s words, we believe that all present conflicts here and abroad are “avoidable crises.”
We will give leaders, both here and on the global stage, more than just the benefit of the doubt.
We will opt to them our trust on them – the trust that while leaders may occasionally find conflict as an instrument to advance their interest, the only real interest is our survival and progress. To achieve both, peace is an essential element. Peace is the indispensable element.
And these leaders have shown that our hope may not be in vain and that peace is, indeed, possible.
(The author is the mayor of Antipolo City, former Rizal governor, DENR assistant secretary and LLDA general manager. Email: [email protected])