The government put on a big show last week for the people of Guihulngan, Negros Oriental.
Scores of government employees went up to the hinterland barangay of Trinidad to show the people that government services were right in their front yard, giving medicines, haircuts, and other services that they could only have dreamed of for the past several years.
Trinidad is a communist-infiltrated barangay. This is where the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army celebrated their 50th anniversary last December.
Trinidad is also a barangay where many of its residents had become subjects of unexplained killings.
For many barangay residents, last week’s activity was the first time they ever had that many government employees.
But it could also have been their last, as all those who took part int he civic action program went home after the event.
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On one hand, we congratulate the government for extending its services to the people of Trinidad, but we cannot help but wonder what would happen the moment the government pulled out of the area.
Could the CPP/NPA have gotten the message and decided to give up their struggle? Or did they only become emboldened, knowing that the government could not really sustain their presence?
Living with the people and working with the people is one of the secrets of the CPP/NPA in building its home in remote barangays like Trinidad.
50 years of work may not be outweighed by a one-day activity.
The challenge for government is to maintain their presence in the mountains.
It would be most scary to imagine that the CPP NPA would be the ruler of these hinterland barangays at nighttime.
The battle for the hearts and minds of the people is one tough job. It may not have been won last week, but that may have been a good start.
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